


Hidden Beauty

by MajorityRim, xphil98197



Category: 00Q - Fandom, James Bond (Craig movies), James Bond (Movies), James Bond - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - BDSM, BDSM Scene, Consensual Kink, Keira Marcos' Ties That Bind, Kink Negotiation, M/M, Roleplay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-22
Updated: 2016-04-24
Packaged: 2018-05-15 10:02:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 89,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5781817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MajorityRim/pseuds/MajorityRim, https://archiveofourown.org/users/xphil98197/pseuds/xphil98197
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>MI6 sends James Bond to Casa di Bella Nascosta, the House of Hidden Beauty, in hopes it will smooth out the rough edges left by Vesper's death. This Italian pleasure house specializes in finding the beauty in everyone, and maybe the newest student teacher, Q, is just what James needs to feel human again. But this submissive, along with his humility, has a cheeky side, and a mouth that just can't stay out of trouble.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A very big thanks to Keira Marcos for letting us play in her world of pleasure houses and BDSM. Also a huge thank you to WritinginCT who invented Casa di Bella Nascosta, the House of Hidden Beauty. If you haven't read this story, it is an absolute must, and one of the most tender and beautiful pieces of BDSM you will ever encounter. http://archiveofourown.org/works/458773
> 
> A huge thank you to Gigi Kiersten for our art, please check out her site, its wonderful!  
> http://gigikiersten.com/
> 
> This is a roleplay, so if there are any mistakes or inconsistencies, this is why. We do our best to keep the writing coherent and linear, but it doesn't always happen. This isn't written as a New York Times bestseller, its something we do for fun.

Gabriel hovered at the gate, waiting. He'd been told to expect his paired student for the new session early, and that they would be working exclusively together. It was one thing to be the teacher's pet, and used for examples. But now he would be used to train a Dom, and that would be an odd change. The Doms that came usually brought their own subs, or were young. From what he knew about the man from his folder, he fit neither. The one sub he had occasion to collar had died, and the file pointed out that he had almost died saving her. Whatever Vesper Lynd had been, he had been willing to resign his government position to have her, the government position that had assigned Commander James Bond here now. Retired from the Navy, he held some secret government position that was not listed. It was noted that he needed to learn charm and finesse, something to offset his natural inclination towards sadism.

Unknown to outsiders, Casa di Bella Nascosta was a pay as you could school. The British government had paid a ripe sum to send Bond here. But there were others, like Gabriel, who had come, no fee required. The house kept track of news regarding submissives in bad situations, and was in the habit of offering them a session to recuperate. Gabriel had been invited back for a second session after losing his Dom, who had chosen to leave one day without a word.

James Bond couldn't say that he was entirely pleased about being sent to the pleasure house 'Casa di Bella Nascosta'. It wasn't that he didn't believe he needed to attend, because there was no harm in learning new tricks that would help him out on the field, rather that Bond had always found that too long away from the field gave him this itch that couldn't be scratched. He could already feel that scratch welling up, reminding him that he was not on the sort of mission he would have liked to be on. Still, he knew that if he ever wanted to get back to MI6 and the job he loved, he'd have to complete his time here. With any luck he'd be able to do both. M always needed him out on the field, it would only be a matter of time until he got that call, surely.

Making his way with no real rush towards the gate of the house, Bond smiled, grinning at the beautiful young thing at the gate no doubt waiting for him. Every mission came with it's perks, even the more subdued ones it seemed.

"You wouldn't be waiting for me, would you?" He delivered as casually as possible, moving forward to crowd the other slightly, drinking in the sight. "I hope I didn't leave such a pretty little thing waiting too long. I'd like to think I have better manners than that."

"If you're James Bond?" He bowed. "I'm Gabriel. But you can call me Q. It's an honor to meet a student of my house. May I carry your bags?" The man wasn't what he was expecting from the file, certainly more charm than had been implied.

"I'm to get you settled into our quarters, since you'll be working with me exclusively, they've put me to attend to you as well. I can give you a tour now, or after you've unpacked. I assume you have questions as well, please don't hesitate to ask them as they occur to you. I would think they didn't give you the same information they give most students who research a house on their own."

"That would be me, yes." Bond nodded, extending his hand out to shake the others, sweeping it up in a fluid moment to plant a small kiss across Gabriel's knuckles. "Bond. James Bond." he lingered, just for a moment, running a thumb over soft fingers, slowly bringing himself back up to full height. "Working with me exclusively, hm? That certainly sounds like it comes with it's own perks." He chuckled, shaking his head to the previous question, picking his bags back up. "Quite all right, I'm sure I've got a bit better strength, might as well put it to good use while I can't put it to good use." He gestured for the other to lead the way, being none too subtle as he drank in the sight of the man before him.

"I'd rather a tour once I'm unpacked if you don't mind, I hardly see a tour being any use if I'm focusing on carrying about my things rather than the wonderful scenery that is on offer. As for questions, I'm sure I'll think of something enough to keep the small talk going. I know a bit, but I'm sure you can fill me in on all the fun little details I skimmed over on our tour, yes?”

"I wasn't going to have you carry them all over the grounds," Gabriel wasn't sure what to make of the man in front of him. So much charm, but none of it seemed genuine. "I'll unpack for you if you like? They have put us in one of the cottages. I'd been in the main house originally because I was here alone."

He showed James to their quarters, a one bedroom cottage that was decorated in warm colors. It was designed for someone very tactile, all rugs were soft and there were cushions and blankets in front of the fireplace. The bedroom and adjoining bath were made for luxury, piles of blankets and soft towels, and a tub big enough for at least two. There was a shelf of massage oils, lotions, and shaving supplies to choose from.

"We'll go over our likes and dislikes after dinner, but we have just about anything we need," he opened the chest at the foot of the bed. There were leather restraints, and a myriad of toys.

"I'm glad I came along to rectify that then. We can't have somebody as gorgeous as you alone now, can we?" Bond gave the other a wolfish smile, all teeth and charm. "What a cute little cottage we have too. I'm sure it will do just fine." He nodded, setting his things down. There wasn't all that much for Bond to unpack in all honesty, he'd bought the usual with him. Clothing, a flask for more discrete drinking at times when and where he probably shouldn't be, his own toys of which he took a great amount of pride in of course, -he saw no point in coming to a pleasure house and not bringing his own equipment. Every mission needed it's equipment after all- and his gun, which never failed to leave his person. He'd had to smuggle the last one in under everybody's nose, not strictly supposed to have it on him, but it made James feel more at ease to have it there at least, even if it were buried under dress shirts and socks.

"Plenty of room for play." He mused, nodding along. "I'm glad to see that the room comes fully stocked. It's quite worth the money. Although it could benefit from a bar of sorts. Would add more of a personalised touch." Looking down into the chest that Q had opened, Bond nodded, pleased with the sight. "It really will do just fine though. I'm sure I can put those to good use." He stretched upwards, slowly taking in the rest of the room, marking any possible entries and exits in second nature. "Is dinner a private affair? Or will there be others? I'll admit that I'm entirely for skipping the whole affair in lieu of getting to play a little earlier, what do you think, Q? Shall I introduce myself properly too you?"

"There will be wine with dinner, but no hard alcohol," Q said. "We don't mix pain with hard alcohol, it can change pain tolerance levels and cause more damage later. But of course this is Italy, there's even a vineyard on the grounds. I'd rather not skip dinner, if you don't mind? There might be a few more early arrivals there. I'd rather not play until we get to know each other.

"I did fill out a chart for you, what I like, what are my hard limits, what I'm willing to try," Gabriel handed him a sheet of paper that was sitting on the dresser. "You can fill yours out and we can talk about them after dinner? They are going to go over some explanations for the newer people. Not everyone comes experienced."

"There's also an olive grove, and an outdoor hot tub if you'd like," Gabriel hung up James's suits thoughtfully. "It's getting warmer now, and there are outdoor play areas. I just have to make sure I use sunscreen, I burn badly. So if you'll remind me if it slips my mind?"

"Wine will have to do then." Bond nodded, making a mental note to himself to bring his flask with him to dinner. "Although as I won't be the one in pain, I don't see how I need to avoid the harder stuff myself." He couldn't help but add. James had to give Q credit, he was a lot less of a pushover than Bond had been expecting, although now that he was faced with Q, he wasn't quite sure what he had expected from the house. Taking the piece of paper, Bond glanced over it, sighing with a laugh. "I hate paperwork, I was rather hoping to avoid it here." Sitting it down on the bed, he moved over to fill in the space between the two of them, resting a hand on the other’s shoulder.

"I'll promise to make sure you wear sunscreen if you promise to stop going through my things, hm? I told you that I was capable of looking after my own possessions, I'd rather not have to deal out a punishment because you don't know how to keep you hands to yourself, Gabriel."

"I'm sorry, I was just unpacking for you. It's what I usually do when I attend to someone," Q blushed and fiddled with the paper. "They don't want anyone having hard alcohol because it just doesn't fit into BDSM. We stress consent, and especially with a new partner, it can be a challenge. They're very careful to teach body language cues, and someone drinking might ignore those, or not notice. I... I can read the paperwork for you, and you can tell me which category each activity fits into for you? I'm learning to be more assertive. This is my third time here, and it's not my best quality. Maybe it's better if you tell me what you expect of me?" He took a deep breath. "I worked with my last Dom for a long time. I'm trying not to make assumptions about you."

"I'm rather a private man, so I'd prefer if you didn't take initiative in that respect," Bond explained, making no motion to leave Q's space, aware that he was still crowding it. "While I appreciate the sentiment behind it, it would be best for the both of us if you didn't go through my things, even if you believe that you are helping." He had to admit that being this close allowed him to appreciate Q's smaller quirks and the blush that he'd won was certainly enjoyable up closer also. "I'm very much pro consent, don't get me wrong there, I'm just also quite pro whiskey. I'm quite capable of staying on top of both, if that's what you're worried about. I've been drinking longer than I haven't; besides, one drink is hardly enough to send me into some drunken rage." James stepped back, but only to lead Gabriel away from the wardrobe, a firm hand on his back, directing him to sit on the bed. "Perhaps just here where I can work around you, yes? The bed is as good a place as any to help me with my paperwork and it allows me to move freely around the room and unpack while you deal with that." He offered a tight, small smile before moving back to his things, careful to unpack them so that Gabriel couldn't see some of more work related items he had on him.

"Third time, hm? Either you're not very good or you're a perfectionist. Which one would that be? Or perhaps you're just trying to scrub the sour taste of that last Dom of yours out of your mouth?"

"I... didn't handle the breakup very well. I always wanted to come back and become a full fledged teacher, but having a partner I was too busy. I'm a bit of a perfectionist at everything, I think you'll find," Gabriel frowned. "Rather, my partner was always busy with work, and when someone comes back to become a teacher, they usually have a partner with them. That's why I was assigned to you. You're here alone, and so am I. Anyway... the list..." Gabriel fiddled with the tan line where his ring used to be.

"You split because of work then?" Bond asked the question idly, moving shirts -and his gun- into drawers, glancing over his shoulder to watch Gabriel. "I'm glad I could fill in a gap for you, it would be a shame if you weren't able to teach just because you don't have the right credentials." He mused. "Or are you not teaching here yet? Always the bridesmaid never the bride goes the saying, or I suppose always the student never the teacher." He chuckled. "Yes, of course, the list."

"He... left," Gabriel winced. "I'm not really sure why. Came home and the flat was half empty, and I didn't have anything going on that couldn't wait. So I came back here. I'll explain as much as I can, and if I miss anything one of the teachers will add it in. Next time, I either come as a teacher, or I could teach privately at home I suppose. I don't really have any plans for what to do next. I put my things in storage and put my freelance work on hold."

"Why don't you start by telling me what you like, and I can check those off of the list?" Gabriel shook his head, trying to chase off the memories.

"His loss in my opinion. Why anybody would abandon a cute little thing like you is beyond me." Bond turned to face Gabriel, watching him with careful eyes. "Poor etiquette too if you don't mind me saying. Up and leaving a serious relationship is poor form." leaving a one night stand or a fling, Bond could totally understand, but leaving somebody you'd gone and put the effort of putting a ring on, that was different. There was a duty of care at that point. "Let's hope you prove a good enough teacher with me then, hm? Do something for yourself and rise above it all."

"What I like, hm. " Bond paused for a moment. I'm quite fond of breath play and a bit of edge play, though I suspect the latter will only come after a good amount of communication and fooling about on our behalf. I'm good with my ropes, and I don't mind a bit of Nyotaimori, though that's obviously on the less sexual side of things. What kind of stuff does the list want? I'm a sadist, I'm sure there's a section for that."

"I wasn't just a cute little thing, I was a collared submissive, with a PhD and a company that specialized in cyber security. But clearly not enough. I still don't know why he left," Gabriel straightened up. "Nyotaimori, you do have some less than amateur tastes, although the fact that you're a sadist is obvious. And if you're going to drop words like edgeplay, you might want to be aware that your shoulder holster shows. I expect you to be honest with me, Mr. Bond. Your government sent you here, and quite clearly sent you armed. Now are you here undercover, or are you really here to learn?"

"Can’t a man enjoy a good bit of dining?" Bond chuckled, feeling the need to lighten the mood some. There was obvious tension when it came to whatever had caused Gabriel's Dominant to leave him, tensions which Bond didn't quite feel like diving into right this second. He didn't make a habit of getting cosy with people when it wasn't for a mission. That cool, easy tone was lost however when the submissive rather bluntly pointed out his holster, Bond's hand ghosting over it, annoyed that it had been detected.

"Would there be a reason for me to be undercover here, Gabriel? I find that a lot of the time I'm only accused like that if the opposing party has something to hide."

"I found hard drugs after he left, which I can quite assure you I have never tried," Gabriel was bitter. "I had an offer for a job with the government before that, but it all disappeared when I was questioned about his disappearance. I interviewed with both MI5 and 6 Apparently I was capable of making him disappear, and they had been following him for quite some time. I was cleared, but I know they are still keeping an eye on me. I know too much. It's why I sold the company and came here. I've had enough intrigue and double crossing to last a lifetime.

"As for myself, I enjoy shibari, restraints, leather of any kind. I have an incredibly high pain tolerance, so most anything you can give, I can stand. I don't particularly care for being humiliated, and I like being talked to as an equal. Is there anything else?"

"Well I'm not here to watch you." Bond bit back, growling slightly. "I'm here to learn because my boss demanded so. I'm not here to spy on somebody who's partner run away after getting too involved with drugs." It was harsh, unnecessarily so, but Bond had never taken well to being called out, especially when it came to something that revealed part of what he did for a living. "I'm sure if MI5 and 6 both cleared you I've got no reason to be suspicious of you in anyway." He paused, sucking in a deep breath, calming himself. This would take longer than necessary if he got into a fight with the man he'd been paired with.

"A good pain tolerance is always enjoyable. I can't say I'm in the business of humiliating my bed partners either, so you're in luck. However, I'm also not into treating people as my equal until they're proven it, Gabriel. I'm sure you can respect that. Anything else? Hm, safeword? And what about name calling, I know that's very much on a person to person basis. Anything I can or cannot call you during play?"

"Bananas, I should hope that never comes up during sex, or else we'll have bigger problems," Gabriel smiled and tried to be agreeable. "And I don't like being called a slut or a whore, unless its negotiated beforehand. I don't have very many limits.

"Can I ask you something, James? Why did you never train at a pleasure house before? You're a sadist, you know your way around BDSM. Why did you wait until your boss ordered you here? Why don't you have a submissive here with you of your own? Your application told me you lost someone. Are you here to forget them?"

"Bananas will certainly kill the mood, won't it?" Bond nodded, still trying to relax some. At least if Gabriel knew about the gun Bond would have to go to lesser lengths to hide it from the other, and he seemed content that Bond wasn't here to spy on him, which was certainly a benefit. He didn't need a jumpy suspicious submissive. "I'll keep that in mind then. I've had people who sit either side of that fence, so I'm normally good at keeping my word in check."

"Work was always more important." James certainly wasn't going to go into detail about that. "I learnt with my work, I never saw the need to come and formally study, I had other ways of learning." His mind flicked briefly to Vesper, that wound still too raw to want to talk about it, certainly with a complete stranger. James was pissed enough that it had even been listed on his file that he had recently lost her. It was of no concern and he hardly saw why it was important to his 'education' as it were. "Don't you worry about that, it's none of your business and not something I'm planning on sharing."

"If there's anything I should avoid, because it brings back memories, you can just let me know," Gabriel's voice was soft. "Doesn't have to be talked about or rehashed. If there's any information you think I need, you can tell me. Are you ready for a tour?"

"It's quite beautiful here, it reminds me that no matter how bad things have been, there's still beauty somewhere. Bella Nascosta means hidden beauty, and we believe there is beauty in everyone, it just has to be found," he offered James a hand and led him out of the cottage and through the olive groves. The sun setting painted the skies a vibrant array of colors, and Gabriel leaned on the stone wall that surrounded the vineyard to watch as the first stars came out.

Bond considered telling the other to 'not drown' but the humour was lost on him, leaving him silent and scowling, giving Gabriel a solitary nod before taking his hand, following the submissive out of the cottage to the cool air outside. "It's hard to remember that sometimes." He hummed, staring up at the sky, trying to forget the last time he'd enjoyed stargazing with somebody else. With Vesper. Her smiling face... Not that he could picture much more than her drowning any more. "I don't think I would say there's beauty in everybody, some people are inherently ugly down to their cores."

"Well, I don't think you'll find any of those people at Bella Nascosta," Gabriel smiled. "They wouldn't choose to come to a house that specialized in hidden beauty. Nor would they last long if they managed to get in. I think that you'll be surprised how things are done around here, James. There are very few perfect bodies out in the world, but there are many wonderful people. Here, we learn how to look for that. And a few other tricks," he winked.

"I'm used to the opposite to be frank. I'm good at finding the bad in people." Or rather, his work tended to surround him mostly with the bad. "You'll have to excuse me if I try to find some ulterior motive behind other people's actions. Force of habit now really. I suppose that was why I was so quick to accuse you of something I didn't even know about." he dropped his gaze from the sky to Gabriel, not quite offering him a smile. "I'll admit to being far more interested in the other tricks more so than the 'hidden beauty' of people. Shall we continue the tour?"

"Sure," Gabriel took the meandering way through the property, past the hot tubs and the gazebo that was far away enough from the cottages to be beyond hearing distance. "After my second session here, I went home, and wrote my thesis. I always intended to come back here, but I wanted a way to give back for them training me. They invited me here before the university on a scholarship, and I wanted to be able to do the same for someone else. Not only is it hard to afford, but it's hard to leave your life behind. Not everyone has that luxury. Once I started my own business, each year we sent someone here on a scholarship."

They worked their way around the loop of the grounds, ending up back at the main building. "Do you want to change for dinner, or shall we go in? Its casual until the last students arrive tomorrow."

"I can understand a loyalty to an organisation." Bond nodded along with the conversation. "So after this you wouldn't go back to your business? By what you've said, I suppose there isn't all that much left there for you in that respect. Better to care for those who helped you." He stopped, looking up at the main building, he could certainly see the beauty in it. Perhaps not people, but in architecture there was always beauty to behold.

"I suppose if it's casual affair there's no need to change into a better suit for dinner. This will do just fine. Do you need to change at all?"

"I am ok wearing this, it's not a formal meal," Gabriel held the door for him. "If you want to do any sort of rope suspension and rigging, there are rooms equipped for it here. There are also exhibition rooms, and a library. The kitchens are spectacular. I like to eat my meals there when the grounds are empty.  
"I'll go back and work after this, probably only freelance," Gabriel swallowed. "I was fortunate enough that money wasn't an issue and I could take time to clear my head. But I do own a flat back in London, and my friends are there." He rubbed at his hair sheepishly. "I know that's not a whole lot of reason to go back, but..."

"You know for a moment there I thought you were suggesting a kitchen as a place to have sex." Bond smirked, snaking an arm around Gabriel's waist as they entered the hall. "It would certainly be sanitary, wouldn't it? Although I suspect a little cold on the balls. It wouldn't be the first kitchen I've fucked in." He glanced down, gauging the others reaction before continuing.

"London has it's perks, certainly. If friends and a flat aren't reason enough to return to a place then really what is, hm? I wouldn't return to a place I had no connection to. Not unless I was trying to vanish from sight."

"I haven't had sex in the kitchen," Gabriel burst into laughter. "I've helped cook meals there, and I'm so used to a small flat kitchen. I like trying all the gadgets and spices I could ever want. I could ask the cooks to give us time alone in there, but they would expect us to sanitize anything we touch. No germs.  
"Speaking of, do we need to use protection?" There was the blush that Gabriel despised, his constant tell that he was embarrassed.

"Perhaps we'll have to give it a go then. I'd love to introduce you to some things that might help spice up your life." Bond laughed alongside him, happy to see that he'd finally managed to get the other to stop prattling on about more serious topics for the time being. "I'm quite the connoisseur." He added.

"Protection? No, I don't think so, unless you'd rather it." Talking about it sounded so clinical and bland. "I think I've got more children than STI's currently, so we should be all right

"Oh! I'm sorry," Gabriel froze. "Silly of me. Of course you have family back home." He shook his head. For a minute he had let himself hope that James had come here to find someone to bring home with him.  
"If you let me know what kind of sashimi you want, I can put it on tomorrow's food order," Gabriel forced a smile back onto his face. "And anything else you might want. They humor me and get all the fruit I could want."

"No, no family." Bond shook his head, laughing. "I meant more that I've never been particularly good at remembering to wear a condom. Getting better at it though, God, this has to be one of the least sexiest conversation's I've ever had in my life. Well, no that's a lie, I can think of a few others." He cringed at that thought, mostly unpleasant things flowing into his mind. "How about you surprise me with the sashimi, I like most of it provided it's high quality, I have to admit to being a bit of a food snob. Wait no I take that back, no Urchin, I can't say I'm a fan of that at all. No Takifugu either, I just can't get behind puffer fish."

"You like your fruits then? I can picture you as a tiny little Greek God lapping up all the fruit brought to you. Perhaps I'll have to feed you some grapes if you behave."

God help him, Gabriel blushed and giggled at the same time. He sighed, resigned to his face showing everything. "I wouldn't mind you feeding me," he said shyly. He fiddled with the cuff of his button down.  
"I can pack us a picnic, if you like, for lunch one day."

"I'm not fond of open spaces." Too many places for an attack to come from. Bond shook his head. "It's by no means a phobia, just habit to avoid large open spaces I suppose. Perhaps something a little more intimate and closed off would be better. I'd happily feed you outdoors if you like, you can soak up the sun, provided you've got sunscreen on." Bond winked, showing off that he hadn't yet managed to forget that detail. "You know, for somebody who has apparently a lot of practice in this, you're quite shy."

"The cottage has a balcony that's rather nice," Gabriel sighed. "I was in my last relationship a long time. I'm out of practice flirting with people, and I was always awkward. The computers don't require me to practice social skills."  
He stuck his head into the cooler and took out a container of fruit. "Lisa, the chef, always saves me the extra fruit salad from breakfast," he smiled. "I'm glad you're here, James."

"A balcony sounds doable." Bond agreed. "I never said anything against your flirting, there's really no need for it when we're going to be working together in such a way, is there? I just said that you were shy. You should be strutting about like you own the place, you're certainly gorgeous enough to do it." he teased. "You really do have quite a few people here wrapped around your finger, don't you? Although, if we're about to go sit down for a meal, perhaps you should leave the fruit salad to later, hm? It would be a shame to ruin your appetite."

"Thank you," Gabriel stole a slice of peach from the container and held it out to James. "Just because I know my way around doesn't mean gorgeous. There are some good people here, and when the place is empty they are nice enough to not make me behave so formally.  
"I understand you're used to flattery getting you everywhere James, but I'm really quite ordinary."

"You eat it, it's fine. One piece won't ruin your appetite." Bond took the container instead, holding it so that Gabriel wouldn't be tempted to have any more. "Flattery has gotten me very far yes, but I'm also normally quite honest when I flatter people, just like I'm honest when I insult them. I think you are gorgeous. That face of yours looks like innocent enough to wipe the track record of any sinner that comes your way." He winked. "Of course as a Greek god," He waggled the fruit salad container in the air. "It's probably the opposite that you're doing."

"I'm not-" Gabriel blushed furiously. "Thank you, that's very kind of you to say. I'm not... Used to someone being quite so forthcoming with complements." He sucked on the peach with moan. "Wait until you try the fruit tomorrow. So good."

"I think I'd rather try something else." Bond watched Gabriel with a careful eye, his attention mostly drawn to the fruit in the others mouth. "People should compliment you more often then. If this is the house of hidden beauty or whatever you called it, people should be handing out compliments to you left right and centre. I'm surprised that you aren't already taken if I'm to be frank." Which Bond always was, he didn't have the time to scuttle about issues when he wasn't on missions. "I should probably back off with the compliments for now however, you go any redder and you might explode before I get to have my fun."

"I'm just here with the staff until the others get here, and they've taken excellent care of me. I needed a place to nurse a broken heart for awhile, so I came between sessions. If I stared at the half empty flat any more, I was going to lose my mind." He looked away. "It may take awhile for me to get my confidence back. Before my ex... I was a bit of a know it all. And there hasn't been anyone I've connected with since."

"Well, if you're going to come anywhere to heal a broken heart, I'd say that here is a good a place as any." It was a lie, Bond didn't really think that any one place could be a good place to get over a breakup if there wasn't a well stocked bar, but it didn't seem right to voice his opinions of such right at that very moment. "Confidence isn't something that will come back over night, but I'm sure it'll build back up over time, yes? You're obviously quite smart, from what you've told me about yourself I can tell, so try and not sell yourself short, okay?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Thank you," Gabriel was quiet. "I do hope it gets easier. I've about had it with waking up and not wanting to get out of bed. I'm hoping that working with you will be just the push I'm needing. We'll start with basics tomorrow, but since you have experience, we can just make sure you know what I'm talking about. This is going to be my first experience teaching someone else rigging, and I'm quite excited. Have you tried it before?"

"I'm quite good at pushing people." James offered, seeing the obvious want to move past whatever had happened in Gabriel's eyes. "Although it's normally towards a bed and not out of it." He couldn't help but add with a small, satisfied smirk to himself. He'd done quite a lot of pushing towards beds in his lifetime. "Rigging? Not in the pleasurable sense, no." He shook his head, thinking to the times when he'd hoisted people up for other, more grisly reasons, as well as his time in the navy. "I've done a little shibari in my time, but not too much."

"Oh, I can get a third person to work with us, so I can show you step by step," Gabriel showed him into the dining room. The table was set, but they were the only ones there. "Let's start from scratch then, the basic things you can do on me. Rigging is... intense. I'd rather that you try it on the receiving end at least once before you tie me, but I'm not sure if that would be comfortable for you? I don't want to trigger your defensive training. It can trigger a rather emotional response. We can do it alone if you want to try it, and aren't sure how you will react to being tied. 

"Ah, hello Maddalena. This is James, he's going to be working with me this session. James, this is Maddalena," he introduced the woman who brought out their plates. "Is anyone else joining us?"

"Just me, the others decided to test out the beds first," Maddalena smiled. "I cheated and gave Lisa the night off, and cooked myself. Not often I get a new audience for my ravioli."

"Oh, you're in for a treat," Gabriel groaned in delight. "You may not be able to move enough later to push me into bed though. She'll stuff you silly."

"If you believe a third person will help the learning experience I don't see why not." If it would help him learn faster, Bond wasn't against the idea of a third member being present. He'd much rather learn properly then learn poorly and have something go wrong. He wasn't in the habit of accepting failure when assistance was available without damaging his ego. (only when it wouldn't damage his ego, of course) "I'm not overly sure about being tied myself, but if you really do think it' important to the process, I'm sure I could put my reservations aside." He added with a slow, less sure nod. Normally, being restrained meant the worst for Bond. He wasn't a complete idiot however, surely he'd be able to differentiate between the two separate moods of the situation. One being for torture and the other supposed pleasure. 

"Pleasure." He nodded to the woman, Maddalena, giving her a small smile before sitting down at the table. "Your food smells delicious, I'm sure the new audience will love it." He had to chuckle at her other comments, admittedly wanting to be one of those people trying out the beds rather than just discussing sex and terms and the rest of it. He was very much an all action kind of man, this negotiating seemed more like work than pleasure. 

"I promise that I always have room left for sex Gabriel, always, without exception." He murmured, sliding a hand under the table to give the others leg a small squeeze as if to prove the fact. 

"Are you working with anyone specific this session?" Gabriel asked Maddalena. "I'm going to teach James rigging, and I want him to see it done first. I'll tie you myself first James, and then we can go from there. It's been a long time since I've had the chance to use a setup like the one they have here, not since my last session. There is a cushioned floor in case we make any mistakes, and the racks are quite large. Are you eating with us, Maddalena?"

"No, at least not tonight," Maddalena laughed. "Your student seems quite eager enough to get you to bed without me getting in your way with technical talk. Just let me know when you two are ready for a third person for rigging. My schedule is very open, I'm only overseeing student teachers. You're very lucky James, Gabriel is one of the best students I've seen. We were thrilled he finally came back for a third session. We had lost hope he ever would."

"Stop, I only paid attention," Gabriel blushed. 

"Wait until he kneels for you James," Maddalena smiled. "You're in for quite the experience." She left, leaving them alone.

"It certainly sounds a lot more comfortable than what I'm used to." Bond chuckled, making no real move to explain himself further. "Just us two then? I really am glad I didn't change then, I'd look quite the fool turning up to a dinner that nobody else did." He mused. "Still, it makes for a much more romantic setting, don't you think?" He winked at the woman before turning his attention back to Gabriel, drinking his appearance in. 

"Is kneeling something you do normally? Or is that a more reserved gesture?" If he were to be honest, the idea of Gabriel on his knees was certainly something that Bond wanted to see. If the image he had painted in his mind was anything to go by, it would be quite the experience as promised. "You really need to stop selling yourself short, Gabriel. There's obviously a lot of talent in you, you should show it off. Peacock about a bit, it's rather cathartic for the soul."

"Its because I pay attention to people's emotional and physical cues well, I get accused of being psychic," Gabriel laughed. "Kneeling, well, that's how I start most sessions as a submissive. If you're going to put restraints on me... well, I'll show you after dinner, and you can judge for yourself. It puts me in the right frame of mind, and lets me focus." He dug into his food.

"Tell me about your favorite things to use?" Gabriel asked, "I don't really do much strutting about, I'm more... I'm a bit more subdued than that. It's not my place as a submissive to point out my own qualities, I'm here to highlight yours."

"Well I know you're not psychic or you'd have run from me already." Bond quipped, a grin on his face. He couldn't remember the last time he had honestly smiled with somebody else. If he got nothing else from this whole experience, he'd at least be grateful for that. "I don't think I'd ever restrain a submissive from kneeling, something like that's important to a lot of you, I've just known of others who- never mind, this really is delicious isn't it?" She hadn't knelt for him right off the bat, she'd made him earn it. Perhaps it was a good thing that Gabriel wasn't like that. Less similarities that way. 

"I'm fond of cuffs. I know it's a little entry level but I've always enjoyed them. It's such an easy way to assert control, really. I'm restricting the other from the use of their hands, and in my line of work, they're quite often the most valuable asset a person can have." Bond paused, thinking over the question more. "And my flogger. Mine specifically, I had it tailor made quite a few years ago, I suppose I'm a bit sentimental at times. It's one of my few possessions." 

"I don't think it's your role to highlight my qualities. I'm quite good at doing that on my own. For me, a pairing, regardless of how close they are personally, should compliment one another. Brains and brawn, strengths and weaknesses, that kind of thing. Perhaps I'm just a little old fashioned, I haven't really ever spent long amounts of time with one submissive." 

"Well, it's a little different than someone you meet at a club and have one session with, we're going to be working together quite a bit," Gabriel was thoughtful. "It depends if we are exhibiting I suppose, and our mutual goal should be to make each other look as good as possible. By the end of the session, it's considered an honor to be asked to exhibit."

"I look forward to working with you, it's going to be good to work with someone who has a bit more... positive... dynamic. I'm hoping to erase some things I'd rather not remember here. I love a good set of cuffs. Maybe some day I'll have a collar and my own cuffs again," he smiled wistfully.

"I don't see me passing with 'honours' so so speak then." Bond saw the whole experience very much as work training. He doubted that he'd excel any more than he already did at sex, it was more to teach him to not be so blunt and on the occasion rude with partners. M had mumbled something about Vesper too but James was pointedly avoiding that portion of the conversation. 

"I'm sure the time will come again, Gabriel, it's better to stay blindly optimistic in a situation then allow that doubt to bury in, doubt will kill you chances faster." He was sure that Gabriel would find somebody to collar him soon enough. The other seemed well enough liked and certainly had all the right qualities of a submissive from what Bond had seen thus far. "Just pick somebody a little less addicted, hm? That will help a lot."

"There's no pass or fail," Gabriel rolled his eyes with a laugh. "As long as you leave knowing more than when you came, it's been a good session. You seem like a bit of a over achiever to me really, I would have guessed you'd be jumping at the chance to show that you learned rigging or caning better than the next student. And it's a chance for both of us to bury some bad memories really. If you're done, I can put out plates in the dishwasher, and you can show me that flogger of yours."

He picked up the plates, brushing against James's shoulder. He touched his lips to the back of James's neck and breathed on the warm skin, just touching the soft hairs with his nose.

"No pass or fail? Well, that's a relief, I hate having to formally show my skills, it always drives me mad having to do performance tests." Getting to avoid them would be a nice change. James had never been one for demonstrating in a room what he could demonstrate in the practical sense. "I'm not here to bury bad memories, Gabriel, I'm just here to learn, there's nothing hidden to recover from." He added, a slightly warning. "I'm here to get better at what I do, not have a therapy session."

Negativity aside, Gabriel's next move was enough to clear James' head of unpleasant thoughts, his mouth suddenly very wet. He was used to being the one who made all the moves and the sudden breath on the back of his neck was very unexpected. "I'm done with dinner yes, very far from done however." Rising out of his seat, Bond had to refrain from simply pinning Gabriel to the wall, a sight that would have been more than welcome. "Make it quick, I'm not good at waiting, Gabriel." 

Gabriel made quick work of the dishes, and was back before James made it to the door. He touched James's hand, and curled their fingers together.

"Would you like a massage and a bath? The bathtub is definitely worth trying out, and you look rather... wound up. Or we could test that after you work me out?" Gabriel managed to slip past him, and lean back against James. "Whatever order you'd prefer... Sir." His voice was honeyed, seductive 

"I think my bath can wait for now." Bond hummed, moving hands up to grip at Gabriel's shoulders, kneading them gently. "I want to take you back to our room and introduce you to me properly, give you a little insight to the man I am behind the suits." And God if he wasn't going to keep true to that. He'd do his damn best to make sure that Gabriel forgot his own name. "Go on, standing here all day won't achieve anything." 

Gabriel pulled him back to the cottage, rather faster than he should have gone in the dark, but he knew his way. He closed the door behind them and wrapped his arms around James's neck. Gabriel's eyes fluttered shut, lashes dark against the pink cheeks. His tongue darted out to wet his lips and he swallowed.

"Can I kiss you?"

James answered the question without words, rather turning to push Gabriel up against the wall, too impatient for soft little touches and flirtatious games. This, sex and what came shortly before hand was what he was good at and James would do damn well to show Gabriel of that. The kiss was forceful, bruising, the way James delivered all of his kisses, with passion that could suck information out of anyone. "I want you naked, begging for me, Gabriel. I'm going to show you just what sort of a man I am."

"Please?" It escaped Gabriel's lips before he'd realized that he had spoken. He stripped off the shirt, slid out of his shoes, and unbuttoned his trousers. "Bedroom or here?" He was achingly hard, and he hadn't been hungry for another person to touch him in so long. 

"Here suits me just fine." Bond didn't have time for the bedroom, he didn't have time for the little promises he'd made over dinner either, he just wanted to fuck, to claim. James wanted prove his worth and show off his skill, that was all. "I'm going to fuck you until you're screaming my name, wipe everything else out from that mind of yours, leave it empty except for me, my presence, just me." Unbuttoning his own trousers, not caring enough to get fully undressed, Bond moved to attack Gabriel's neck, wanting to mark it as his own, even if he was just James' for the night.

Gabriel nodded, letting James take control. "There's lube, in my pocket," he managed, before James sunk his teeth in. Then he was flying, the endorphins hitting him. He thought he was begging, but he was sure that the words in his mind were far more articulate than what James was hearing.

He ended up clinging to him, pulling at James's hair to keep him as close as possible. He was going to last no time flat and embarrass himself at this rate, but there'd be time for round two.

"So eager already; and we haven't even gotten to the good part." Bond felt a rush of pride, knowing that he already had Gabriel squirming underneath him when he had done so little thus far, the thought of seeing if he could completely undo Gabriel with nothing but teasing touches crossing his mind for a moment, but James knew he didn't currently have the self control to hold out for that long. He wanted sex and Gabriel wanted sex. It would be cruel of James to deny them both that. 

Sliding his hand down to Gabriel's pocket, James retrieved the lube, breaking away just slightly to readjust, turning Gabriel around to face the wall for a better angle. "Did we make a decision on condoms before? I don't remember?" Bond asked, slicking up fingers. "Business before pleasure." 

"You told me that you didn't like them, and had more children than STDs," Gabriel managed a bit of snark between James mauling him. "I'm clean though,got a bit paranoid after I found the drugs. Wanted to make sure, and I'm glad I did. Nothing that couldn't be fixed with a few nasty injections and not sitting for awhile. But, your will is mine, Sir." 

"No condoms then." Bond nodded, happy either way. Not having to find a condom would make the whole process faster. Carefully, taking his time to gauge Gabriel's reaction, Bond slid a single finger into the other with a low, appreciative hum. "You shouldn't say such dangerous things. It could be my will to leave you hanging on the edge for hours, Gabriel, milking you for every small little sound I can." 

"I'm a trained sub, James," Gabriel arched into the touch. "That's what I do, Now, just how long are you going to wait to touch me?"

"I'll wait for as long as I want, Gabriel. That's my right as the dominant." James purred in return. "I could undo you here if I'd like. One finger, keeping you here for hours; I would too if I had the restraint not to just fuck you good and hard. The preparation will be the only slow part tonight, I promise you." 

"And that's why I'm quite sure you WON'T keep me here all night, you don't nearly have the restraint for that," Gabriel was brazen turned on and in his element. "I, however, can wait. I don't even have to come when you do. I can wait until you tell me."

"You talk a whole lot for somebody who is supposed to be taking the orders," Not that Bond minded all that much in this particular moment. It was better to adjust to one another this way, it broke the ice more than dinner and drinks could have. "Maybe I will make you wait until tomorrow, I won't let you get off at all." Bond moved to slide a second finger in, curling them both upward inside Gabriel. "You have to earn the good bits, after all."

"You have no idea about the good bits yet," Gabriel moaned. "You have no idea just how good and tight I am, it's been months... Sir." He arched his neck and rutted against him, teasing James as much as he could. And it was no idle threat either. He could wait, all night. "There's always the option of a dry orgasm, on command..." he licked his lips. "And I swallow."

"You talk too much is what you do." Bond chuckled. "I'm obviously not doing a good enough job yet if you can still string sentences together. Three or four fingers? If it's been months I don't want to hurt you."

"Four, as long as you ease into it," he twisted his head around to kiss James. His fingers scrambled for traction, trying to pull James closer. "I waited all afternoon for you... you aren't going to keep me waiting any longer, are you?" He managed to tangle his fingers into Bond's hair.

"I'm going to make you wait as long as I can hold out, Gabriel." It was a promise. While James wasn't the best at holding out and drawing an experience out, he would certainly drag it out as long as he could. 

"You were right, Sir," Gabriel ground back against his erection. "This is quite good for the self esteem. But you said something about restraints and a whip... empty promises?"

"I don't make empty promises, Gabriel. This is just the warm up fuck." James returned. "If you think that this is all I have to offer you're very much mistaken. Once I've had you up against the wall, I'm going to take you into the bedroom and really play."

"Look, I..." Gabriel turned and took James's lips in a hungry kiss. "As much as I appreciate the banter, please?" 

"I hope that's not top tier begging, Gabriel, or you'll never get anything from me." Still, with Gabriel nearly worked open to where he needed to be, James wouldn't be holding out much longer. He was looking too forward to the rest of the night to stop and tease any more now. 

"Oh no, I'll save that, Sir," Gabriel arched his neck, showing off the pulse point in his throat. "I'll save that till after I decide that it's worth my while. As of right now, all I've gotten to prove it is talk and fingers. I like to make sure I'm going to be... satisfied... before I bring out the good tricks."

"Oh don't worry, I'll prove myself to you soon enough." Removing his fingers, Bond moved Gabriel back around so that they were facing each other again. "I'm not a disappointing man, I promise." Lifting Gabriel up, Bond positioned them so that there'd be as little awkward jostling about as possible before slowly lowering Gabriel onto his cock, moaning lowly. "You weren't lying about being nice and tight."

"I don't... lie," Gabriel shivered. "No reason to." He wrapped his legs around James's waist and clenched around his cock. The lube was just enough to let them slide together, but feel every drag of skin. He kept his fingers tangled in James's hair and sucked on his bottom lip, trying to hide a moan as James nudged his sweet spot. 

"I like an honest man." Bond kept his actions deliberately slow so the time being, trying to coax more sounds from Gabriel, if only to stroke his ego. It had been a while since he'd been able to enjoy some no ulterior motive sex. "I also like a vocal man, if that's any hint." 

"Well I don't fake things either, so you'll have to try a bit harder," Gabriel's eyes fluttered shut. It was good sex, really good sex. But he and his big mouth...

"You shouldn't goad a man you know nothing about into trying 'a bit harder'." Bond warned, picking up pace, ever the man to have to prove himself and his worth. "Especially when he's got you up against the wall and his cock inside of you." 

Gabriel let his head rest back against the wall, finally James had set a pace that would stop him from thinking. He shivered as James hit his prostate and let himself go to enjoy it. He hooked his arms around James's neck and let the pleasure overtake him, leaving him mouthing at James's skin, no more energy for banter.

Pleased that he'd finally proven good enough to get Gabriel to fall silent, Bond readjusted slightly, one arm around Gabriel's waist to keep him steady the other outstretched to balance them both better on the wall. With the slightly better angle, Bond picked his pace up again, panting happily against Gabriel's shoulder. "There," He managed through breaths. "I knew I could shut you up." 

"Well it's about time you pulled out the good moves," Gabriel managed, tugging at James's hair.

"These aren't my good moves, I'm just warming up. Like I said, real play begins afterwards." James promised, a light moan escaping him. "Holding on tight enough there, Gabriel?" 

"Yes Sir," Gabriel agreed. "I'll just wait for the real play, and let you enjoy this." He clenched around him, and bit at his bottom lip. 

"Fuck!" Bond had to admit, even for vanilla sex, this was good. "I want you to enjoy it too. Take it as an introductory gift."

"I am enjoying it," Gabriel managed. "I just happen to prefer to wait, prolong the... pleasure. Sometimes the wait is the best part. Although if you'd prefer me to come now? After all, your will is mine..." 

"You can come after I do, that's you're only restraint for now." Bond replied, any thoughts after that stuttered, too close to really care to give the other man any orders. "This is just some good sex to get it out of my system so I can focus on taking you apart later, pretty one."

"I'm looking forward to it, but what can I do to help you enjoy this?" Gabriel managed a smile as he scraped his nails down James's back. "I must say, you weren't what I was expecting. I was thinking that you wouldn't want this, that you would... object."

"Wouldn't want sex?" Bond rose an eyebrow. "I enjoy all types of sex, I just have my preferences. Separates work from pleasure that way." He grinned. "God- and right now I'm about to show you how much I enjoy it. I hope you're close because if you don't come now you won't come all night."

"Some people would object to being ordered to go have sex with a stranger, Sir," Gabriel grinned. "It's something they feel that shouldn't be forced, or ordered by others. Those of us of the submissive persuasion, we do enjoy a laugh at their expense. They don't know what they are missing. You said not to come until you do, but I've been close for some time."

"I have more sex with strangers than people I know. Don't worry about me." Bond grunted, his breathing becoming more ragged with every word. "I'm glad you're ready, Gabriel, I'd hate to have to deny you that pleasure on our first night." Coming with a pleased shout, Bond pushed them both up against the wall, bracing himself in the moment, sighing, pleased with himself. 

Gabriel let out a sigh, latching his teeth onto Bond's throat to keep from screaming. He went lax, the orgasm tearing through him, more emotional than he was expecting. He kept his eyes closed and focused on slowing down his heart beat, hiding the bittersweet knowledge that after the session Bond would leave.


	3. Chapter 3

Grunting slightly at the teeth in his throat, Bond kept the two of them upright, letting Gabriel ride through his orgasm, pleasantly spent himself. "If that's how you react to plain old boring sex I can't wait to play with you, Gabe."

He nodded, and unwrapped his legs, landing on his feet. He reached for James to steady himself and smiled. "I think I'll stop teasing you now," he pulled James along to the bedroom.

"If that was teasing you need to raise your game." Bond joked, happy to follow Gabriel into the bedroom. "I was rather hoping not to have a mark on my neck, I'll have to remind you not to do that again I think." He added with a playful, light smack to Gabriel's bare ass. 

"I suppose I never said you couldn't mark me like that, so really it's on me." Bond moved around Gabriel to the bed, pulling off the top doona to drape over the others shoulders. "We'll wait a moment, hm? Let you recoup before we keep going. Or we can rest for the night. If you haven't had sex in a while I don't want to overdo it and exhaust you."

"I'll be okay in a minute," Gabriel sat down on the bed. He stretched lazily, and traced a hand down James's leg. "That was... intense." He studied James's face, looking for an expression beyond the banter.

"I wouldn't have called it intense, but I suppose I've had sex more frequently than you in the last few months." Bond smiled in return, laying his own hand over Gabriel's, leaning back slightly, scratching idly at the fresh mark left by the other man. "I'm glad you enjoyed it, I know I certainly did."

"Take a complement," Gabriel smiled. "From the receiving end, it was quite good. But you managed to stay dressed." He pulled James down on the bed next to him, and straddled his lap. "May I do something about that?"

"I don't think you're quite ready for that." Bond chuckled, bringing a hand up to stop Gabriel from any further advancement. While his various bullet wounds and other scars were a turn on for many of his marks on the field, James wasn't entirely sure that Gabriel would see them the same way. Many saw hardship where Bond saw a job well done, he didn't want a discussion about that now. "It doesn't matter does it? I mean after all, you're the one that needs to be naked, not me."

"True," Gabriel nodded. "I just happen to enjoy taking care of someone, and I was looking forward to getting my hands on you," He bent to kiss James. "You wouldn't want me to not do well, would you? I did promise you a bath and a massage. Or did you want to put your restraints on me first, Mr. Bond?" He rolled his hips on James's lap. Something about the man made him sad, like he was keeping on armour.

"I think I can settle for a shower," To be honest, Bond could settle for Gabriel continuing that nice little action on top of him, the pleasant buzz from his orgasm still there enough to heighten the movements. "How about we play with those restraints?" He wanted to get as far away from naked as he could. "I did promise you that and my flogger after all. I'd hate for you to think that I'm not a man of my word." 

"Can I scrub your back?" Gabriel noticed the sharp intake of breath and ground his hips down like he was dancing at a nightclub. "I do so want to please you, Mr. Bond. And I am looking forward to the flogger." He stretched his torso, undulating like a cat and breathed against James's ear.

As much as the idea of Gabriel in the shower with him was a pleasing thought, Bond couldn't get rid of the persistent 'DO NOT SHOW HIM' in the back of his mind, even with the sweet and pointedly deliberate movements of the other man on top of him, Bond couldn't shake the need to keep that part of him hidden from Gabriel. "I'm sure that I can manage it." Bond deflected instead, running his hands up the sides of Gabriel legs, squeezing them playfully at the top of each. 

"Why don't I go get my flogger, hm?" 

"Alright," Gabriel bit his bottom lip and pouted. He knew how lethal that move was for most people. He let out a long suffering sigh. "But James..."

There was a prang of guilt, the face Gabriel pulled going straight to his need to keep his submissive happy, but the following sigh, the dragged out call of his name... that was more than enough to pull him back to his senses. It was too much like her, too much like Vesper trying to pull at his strings and it caused very much the opposite effect to what Gabriel could have been wanting. 

"I said no." James bit, growling slightly. "Now get off me, I'm going to take a shower." 

Gabriel nodded and curled up under the blanket. He tried to tell himself that there was more going on, that clearly the file hadn't told the whole story. But a dominant who didn't want to be served, or take off their clothes... Gabriel had submitted for all sort of dominants during his training, male and female, one of the most rewarding for a soldier who had been in a wheelchair. This was what came of someone being ordered to a house. At least the group training tomorrow would tell James what Gabriel couldn't.

James moved to grab his towel and a clean pair of pyjamas before stalking off to the bathroom to shower, happier than he should have been to put a barrier between Gabriel and himself. He knew logically that Gabriel hadn't meant any harm with his lip biting, that it was the natural progression of things that the pair of them would eventually get naked together, but he couldn't shake the irrational, what was it, fear? No, Bond wasn't ashamed of his body. He just didn't want to scare somebody away because of who he was. People died because of who James was, allowing somebody to see that was like setting them up for death. 

Gabriel debated what to do, his stomach unsettled from the tension. Clearly his Dominant was hurting, and his first instinct was to go to him, and ease whatever worry was going on. This was the least involved he had ever been in playing with someone, he'd played with strangers in clubs that involved less clothes and more emotional give and take than this. He settled on the notion that Bond's distance was what was the most painful. Rather than letting himself go and accepting the tenderness Gabriel could offer in private, he wasn't comfortable enough to be cared for. 

He fretted, waiting for James to return from the shower.

James scrubbed himself raw, doing his best to clean out his mind without the aid of alcohol. Drinking now would only upset and worry Gabriel, he didn't need that. Neither of them needed that. What they needed was to go to bed and pretend like nothing had happened. Finishing up as quickly as he could, Bond stepped out, dried himself off and pulled himself hastily into pyjamas before entering back out into the bedroom, acting as if nothing had happened. 

"Don't feel obliged to sleep with any clothing on." He offered, walking in, still drying his hair. "And don't forget to shower if you need to."

"Um, yes... I should do that," Gabriel noticed the red skin but didn't comment. He shed the blanket and headed for the shower. He made it quick because there was only cool water left, and scurried back to bed. He turned out the light and curled up under the covers, facing away from James.

James, unable to sleep properly, rolled over himself, wrapping an arm around Gabriel, pulling him in close. It was hard to keep him safe, even if there was no real threat there. "I've got you, don't worry." Placing a small kiss on the top of Gabriel's head, James eventually managed to force himself to get some proper sleep, drifting off for the night. 

Gabriel awoke nuzzling into warm skin, his morning hard on nudging the body next to him. His sleepy green eyes opened to see James relaxed into sleep, curled around him.

Stirring slightly, James cracked an eye open, yawning as he forced his body awake. "I see you're a little more awake than I am." He chuckled, moving his leg to indicate, brushing up against Gabriel. "Do you start every morning like this?"

"No... I just opened my eyes," Gabriel yawned and grinned. "Makes me feel like I'm in highschool again actually. "You actually slept, I didn't think you would. I'm sorry if I crowded you, I'm a bit off a snuggler, especially when it's cold."

"I don't think I slept for all that long, but no issue I'm used to short sleeping hours." Bond reassured. It was novel to be sleeping in a nice bed for once, that alone had made the sleep a decent one. "I don't mind you moving in closer either, I can keep you safer that way." Not that there were any threats here in a pleasure house, Bond reminded himself. 

"Probably the only thing I need protecting from are my nightmares, and they are better when I don't sleep alone," Gabriel frowned. "Are you not a fan of morning sex?" he teased. "Or is it that I haven't brushed my teeth yet'?"

"I'll do my best to protect you from those then." Bond laughed. "I promise I'll protect you from everything." He added, a touch of seriousness in his voice. "And I'm all for morning sex, I'm all for sex in general really. Morning, afternoon, lunch, in outer space, I'd do it anywhere at any time." 

"Outer space? Zero gravity? Hmmm...." Gabriel went to brush his teeth. "Do you think a hard on would last longer with no gravity?" He stuck his head out of the bathroom. toothbrush in his mouth. "I mean, if you did nothing, would it take longer to go down? I think there might be a scientific paper in if zero gravity situations could improve erectile dysfunction..."

"Does gravity effect that kind of thing?" Bond rose an eyebrow. "I'm not a scientist so I'd have no clue. All I know ifs that I like having sex and I don't care where I have it." He was being honest, sex for James was one of the few pleasures that he could enjoy anywhere without too much consequence. "Unfortunately, space travel is a little difficult for the average person." 

"I don't know," Gabriel admitted. "But sex among the stars..." He sighed wistfully. He came back to bed and straddled James's lap, repeating his movements with his hips of the night before. "Good morning, handsome," he purred.

If he had have been on a mission, this would have been the point where James excused himself and left, off to complete the task at hand. It took him a moment to remember that, moving to remove Gabriel from his hips and form some sort of excuse before remembering that he didn't need to. "What kind of morning sex to you prefer, Gabriel?" Instead, Bond could enjoy himself. "Play or just a light and easy wake up?"

"I'm not fussy," Gabriel grinned. "I haven't slept without nightmares in a long time. You could show me some of your skills and I could wear cuffs to breakfast," he suggested. "Or I do love giving head?"

"I don't think you'll want your mouth near the mess down there." Bond mused. "Nasty accident left it a bit well- it's not to be desired we'll say." If he could call what happened with Le Chiffre a nasty accident. Cuffs and some light play were far more favourable. It did mean that Bond would have to roll himself out of the warmth of bed however. "How about I get out my flogger as promised from last night? Better late than never, I suppose."

"I think you underestimate me, James," Gabriel frowned. "I hope you don't think I'm so shallow." He kissed James softly and stayed planted on his lap. "It's cold, let's stay here and not move," he pulled the covers over them and nuzzled back into James's neck.

"I tend to find that I attract more shallow people than not." Bond replied honestly. "But even if you're not shallow, you really don't want to get too close to that mess, it'll turn you off sex." It was meant as a joke, James wrapping his arms back around Gabriel as he settled down. "No sex then? You seemed keen enough for it a moment ago."

"I do want sex, I just..." Gabriel hunted for the right words. "I'm not going to be shocked or make fun of you. I would just really like to give you pleasure, and you don't even undress. I would just like to do more," he admitted. "I'm just trying to figure out how to make you feel comfortable, less self conscious, àround me."

"I didn't think that you'd make fun of me Gabriel. It's just that I know my appearance can cause worry. I'm a stubbornly private man and as for my balls well, they really would turn you off going down there again. They've taken quite the beating." He felt bad for worrying the other so much, and for making the situation tense when it should have been an enjoyable morning. "It's not that I'm self conscious about the way I look, Gabriel, it's just that I've gotten a lot of people I care about hurt and I don't want you to end up on that list."

"I'm sorry," Gabriel offered. "I... whenever you do want me to touch you, all you have to do is ask. I would like to. Who got hurt? If you don't mind me asking. You look sad."

"Too many people to count." James had seen so many people hurt over the years it was hard to keep a track of all their names. Vesper came to mind, though if he were to be honest, she was always on his mind. "I lost Vesper because I let her get too involved. Or perhaps she had always been too involved, I don't know. You're allowed to touch me, Gabriel, just know that you won't like what you see."

Gabriel kissed him, a sweet, desperate, kiss. "I'm sorry, losing someone is hard." He nibbled at James's throat, hands brushing through his hair. 'You are gorgeous though, and the fact that you care if something happens... You don't seem like just the sum of the contents of your file. You care." He sighed against James's hair. "Can I undress you, Sir?"

James felt as if though he was exposing too much of himself too soon, that he was making the same mistakes all over again, but he couldn't help but crave that touch. The touch from somebody who wasn't trying to drag information from him or that he wasn't trying to drag information out of himself. "I am more than just my file." James' file no doubt only contained half truths, it would skim the surface, say only what was absolutely necessary. Nodding slowly, he tried to relax. "If you decide it's too much for you to see, not physically but emotionally, you're allowed to stop and request to be moved to another Dominant. I won't take offence."

"Let me be the judge of that." He slid off James's shirt and pressed a line of kisses down his chest. "You taste good," he sighed, rutting against James's belly, his hands running down the shoulders. "Lay down for me?"

James was surprised that there was no immediate recoil upon Gabriel removing his shirt, various scars from various missions now there for him to see. "I hope you don't get a taste for my flesh." He joked quietly, following the request, lying down. "I'm not much into cannibalism."

"I'll keep your skin covering it, I promise," Gabriel smiled warmly. He reached into the nightstand drawer for a bottle of massage oil and dropped it onto the covers. He slid the pants and underwear off of James's hips, bending to nuzzle at the juncture of his pelvis with a groan. He slid the pants off each leg, and spread James's thighs, bathing the skin with open mouthed kisses and swipes of his tongue. "God you taste good," he sighed, lapping at the head of James's cock.

"You wouldn't happen to have an oral fixation, would you, Gabriel?" Bond asked, curious as to what the answer would be, all too happy to lie there and allow the other man to explore. He didn't seem all that concerned about the marks over James' body which was nice, nor had Gabriel started asking questions about them. Given James' file, Bond assumed that Gabriel had simply put two and two together and made some sort of educated guess about where the marks had come from. Those assumptions meant that Gabriel was blissfully unaware of the type of man James really was. It kept him safe. 

"Yes, I'm a bit obsessed. You taste good, I blame you," Gabriel grinned. "Now roll over for me. I want to help you relax. This is the most unguarded I've seen you since you got here, and I'm enjoying it."

James wouldn't have called himself unguarded, but rolled over all the same, happy to oblige Gabriel. "I can't say that I was expecting so much pampering when I came here. I thought it would be all classes and lectures if I'm honest."

"Lectures?" Gabriel wrinkled his nose in distaste. "God no. Yuck." Ha warmed the oil in his hands and worked his way down James's tense shoulders. "You must have had the wrong submissives to have that idea."

"It wasn't Vesp- it was my employer giving me lectures." Bond mused. "I suppose I've gotten used to them, I get them quite frequently at work." He let out a small, pleased moan, relaxing further into the bed. "Do you always pamper people like this?"

"When I can," Gabriel kneaded at a bad knot of scar tissue. "Bullet wound that healed poorly? You need someone to take better care of you, Sir."

"I'm not often in the company of anybody who can." Bond had to give Gabriel credit, he was taking everything well. Most people would have been either upset or too interested in the scarring. "Perhaps I just need to stop getting shot." 

"I won't let you get shot," Gabriel smiled. "And I'll make sure to keep you relaxed so you don't get tense from flogging me." He worked his thumbs down James's spine and nipped at his buttocks. 

"You're certainly helping me relax, I'll be sure not to hold out on you later." It was odd to be doted on, but Bond couldn't find it in him to complain or even to really overthink the situation. It had been so long since he'd been able to enjoy something as simple as this. Even "If you take too long though, we won't get any time to play before breakfast." longer since somebody had wanted something other than sex or work from him too.  
"Don't worry about me getting shot, occupational hazard." 

"I'm not important enough to get you shot," Gabriel leaned into James's muscles. "Breakfast should be here in about fifteen minutes, and we aren't due in the house until noon. I hope it's okay, I took the liberty of having it delivered. We can relax and have a bath after we eat, and play, and still relax."

"You're important enough, as odd as that compliment is. You're important enough to get me shot." James laughed a little, the absurdity of the sentence not lost on him. "Breakfast in bed sounds like a great idea. And a bath if I'm honest."

"Massage, bath, breakfast in bed," Gabriel whispered in his ear. "I do like spoiling you, but I'd rather you be physically whole to fuck me after. You're quite good, and I'd like to keep you healthy."

Bond barked out a laugh, shaking his head at the statement. "You make it sound as if you purchased me for pleasure rather than me coming here to learn anything." It was a funny notion, though given Bond's lifestyle not an entirely impossible one. If a mission called for it. Bond probably would fake suction himself off. "I'll keep you just as healthy, don't you worry about that. I might be a sadist, but I'm not an ass."

"I like spoiling someone, I just don't get to usually, not for someone who appreciates it," Gabriel smiled.

"Spoil away. It's not often I get to take a break and slow down like this." Bond hummed. "it's nice." 

"It's a shame, you're nice. I thought people as good as you were treated like this by their partners," Gabriel said wistfully. "We hear stories about good Doms.”

"As good as me? We haven't had a chance to play yet. you're making assumptions." Bond hummed. "I hope I can live up to your expectations." 

"You're good looking, you're protective, once we both got past the snark, you are charming, caring," Gabriel smiled. "Anyone can learn to wield a whip. It's WHY they do it that's key. If they want to beat someone into submission, best to stay away. But if they want to let someone get out of their head, let them free a part of the self that needs pain... Anyway, spread your legs for me?"

"I'm flattered, I didn't think you thought quite that highly of me. I'm still very much a stranger to you, you trust very quickly." As opposed to James who had learnt not to trust at all. "Spread my legs? Why? Are you planning on being on top this morning?" He chuckled.

"I'm usually a good judge of character, at least when I go with my gut. My ex was the one time I didn't listen to it," Gabriel explained. "I CAN top, if you like. I was just planning on indulging my oral fixation."

"No, I can't say I'm one for any sort of submission, even just a lazy round in the morning." Bond shook his head. "I will let you indulge in your fixation though. I might squirm a bit, I can't say I've had somebody do this in a long time." 

"Who is receiving sex and submission have nothing to do with each other. I've worked with Doms who only bottom," Gabriel sighed and set to rimming him. "You're going to spoil me indulging me like this." He sucked each ball into his mouth, rubbing his tongue over the scarred skin with a moan.

"I don't think I've ever really liked the idea of being underneath somebody. Though then again, I've never been in a situation where I've felt it safe to relax while somebody was on top of me." New territory or not though, Bond had to admit that it was a pleasant feeling. Even with the scarring, there was enjoyment to be had out of the sucking. Letting out a low, somewhat cut off moan, James buried his face into the pillow, lest he make any noise that might have been embarrassing. "How can I deny you such pleasures when they are just as pleasurable for me, hm?"

Gabriel hummed happily, and kept up the ministrations with his tongue. "Do you want to come like this? Or did you have something else in mind?"

"I'd rather have a little more fun before I come." Bond grinned, though the smile would be unseen to Gabriel, Bond still facing the bed. "I have been promising you a bit of fun, we can play a bit before breakfast, get cleaned up and then head down."

"Yes, Sir," Gabriel sat back to give him room. "Shall I fetch your flogger or anything else for you?"

Pulling himself up and turning around, James nodded. "My flogger and a pair of cuffs, you can choose the type of cuffs, I'm not partial to any kind in particular." It was a basic enough start, something to warm the two of them up, ease them into play. "For me, my hands are part of my livelyhood. By you surrendering use of your hands, you're showing a great deal of submission to me. It might not seem like much, but it means a lot to me."

"My hands are my life, they mean a great deal to me as well," Gabriel knelt next to the bed and offered him the cuffs and flogger on open palms, his head bowed.. "I work as a freelance coder and web designer. If you hear of any jobs like that back in London... It's time for me to go home after this session, and I'll need a job."

"Well then thank you for letting me have your hands." Bond took the flogger and the cuffs, setting them on the side of the bed for the time being, taking a moment to appreciate just how beautiful Gabriel looked in that position. It had been a while since Bond had had the opportunity to see such a sight, and for a moment, he could almost picture Vesper there at his feet, his heart aching to be able to reach out and touch her just one more time. She was gone though, he had to remind himself, and there was no amount of screaming out her name that would bring her back. 

"I know quite a lot of people, depending on your skill and what kind of coding you do I probably could find somebody to give you work." Bond was sure that he could pull some strings and find work somewhere in London for Gabriel. "I'll see what I can do for you." He picked the cuffs up, moving one onto Gabriel's left wrist. "If you'd like, that is." Closing the other cuff around Gabriel's right wrist.


	4. Chapter 4

"I would, if you're willing, Sir," Gabriel remained on his knees. He relaxed into the cuffs, and laid his head against James's leg. The touch was comforting, and he let his breathing slow. "I'd like to have a place to go back to, not feel so adrift. I put everything in storage and gave up the flat, couldn't face it." He nuzzled at James's palm and sucked on the fingertips, his tongue a warm tease.

"I can have all of that arranged. It would be the least I could do for you, given that you're helping me here." He'd make sure that Gabriel was put up somewhere nice. He hated the idea of somebody so kind having to tough it out. It was strange to think that somebody Bond had known for such a short amount of time was having such a profound effect on James already. He wanted to protect Gabriel, more so than if he were a stranger to James. "I'll make sure that you have somewhere to go afterwards." 

"If you would, that would be most kind," Gabriel murmured. He let his arms sink to his sides but remained on his knees. "This is what I've been waiting for, to kneel for you."

"Just so long as you know when it's not a good idea to kneel for me. This isn't meant as a threat, I'd never harm you, but I want you to promise me there there ever comes a day where you need to run away from me, rather than stay by my side, you'll do it." James couldn't shake the warning bells inside his head. That he was going to get Gabriel killed like he had Vesper. Especially with how amazing the sight before him was. The woman they had met the night before hadn't been lying when she'd said it was a sight to see, Gabriel was gorgeous there at his feet. 

"That aside, I hope you do want to kneel for me again." James moved a hand down to run fingers through soft hair, pulling lightly, testing to see just how comfortable Gabriel was. "It's a sight for sore eyes. You're absolutely beautiful."

"Not much scares me," Gabriel swallowed. "The only thing... I don't want to hope, Sir. This is a set amount of time, and I can accept that, I'll kneel for you as often as you want. But I don't want to think about when this ends just yet."

"There's nothing to say that we can't keep in contact after the session." Bond offered before realising that he didn't really have any idea how the process would work once the session was over and that he'd just invited somebody into his life outside the protection of this façade he was living now. "For now, let's just focus on the now. Right now, I'm going to enjoy having you at my feet, tomorrow can come tomorrow, hm?" 

Gabriel nodded, not trusting his voice. His head was still bowed, and it hid the tears shining in his eyes. 

"Yes Sir," he cleared his throat. "I'd like that."

Bond considered reaching out for Gabriel to comfort him, years of experience letting him know that the other man was not okay, but something within him couldn't quite bring himself to do it. Opening up that gate, allowing somebody in like that, it was dangerous. 

"Why don't we start now, hm? If I haven't scared you off play for the moment."

"Your will is mine," Gabriel let himself slip back into the practiced role. "But, I would like that, James." He looked up, unable to hide any longer. He was determined not to say anything, but he knew that his face didn't hide much.

James frowned, moving down off the bed so that he was at Gabriel's height, moving to pull him into a strong hug. "You're not very good at hiding your emotions, are you? Come-on, tell me what's going on in that head of yours. I can't play with a submissive who looks as sad as you do, it'd be unethical." 

"I'm sorry, I-” Gabriel turned his head. "I would like to see you again, after. I... The first time I came here, I was 18. It was before the university, and I came for the summer. I was all starry eyed, had never been in love. I thought then that I would end up with someone like you. And then I went to the university, studied for years nonstop. I came back for another session after. Then I met my ex... and it all kind of went to shite. I stopped dreaming I suppose."

"I don't think you want somebody like me. Maybe somebody who seems like me, but I'm afraid I'm just a bunch of lies in the form of a man, Gabriel." Bond chuckled still holding the other close. "You're obviously a very bright young man, not to mention you've got a heart of gold, it won't be hard for you to find somebody who will love you unconditionally, you shouldn't give up on the dream of your own happiness just because of one bad experience. Even if it does sound like it was an awful one." 

"I suppose," Gabriel nodded. "But I think you sell yourself short. You don't get anything out of comforting me, and you do it anyway. Maybe some time you can tell me why you feel that way. Now, how about that flogger?"

"Are you sure you're in the right mindset?" Bond didn't want to cause any stress where it wasn't needed for Gabriel, choosing to ignore the rest of the conversation, not wanting to talk about himself given the situation. "We can wait until after breakfast if you're not ready."

"Just get me out of my head, please?" Gabriel pleaded. "I could use it. Or else I need to go or a walk and- clear my head, do something."

"I'll help you. I'd rather you here where I can watch over you." James pulled away slightly, pushing himself up to his feet. "I'll take good care of you, I promise." 

"I know," Gabriel relaxed against him. "I'm sorry, I'm not so good at trust. Just more of a dreamer. That's why I like submitting, I... need the quiet."

"Maybe we can both learn a little about trust then." Bond smiled, letting Gabriel lean against him for the time being, letting him adjust and calm down some before they began. "Though I'm the opposite. I can't relax if I'm not in control, I'm hard wired not to."

"Tell me something about you? Not something secret, I mean. Just something... I don't know..." Gabriel curled against his shoulder, and let his breathing slow down. "I only know you work for the government, nothing about you... really."

"I prefer boxers to briefs." Bond joked. "Something about myself? I don't know... I like hiking and climbing, I suppose that's something." Bond wasn't in the habit of giving anything away about himself away. "Is that something about myself enough?" 

"If that's all you are comfortable sharing," he smiled. "I've not been hiking in years. We should go."

"If you'd like. I always found it relaxing, I suppose. If you're not one for hiking though, you don't have to indulge me." 

"The hills are beautiful around here, I'd like to," Gabriel sat back on his heels. "Did you grow up in London?"

"Scotland, actually. Amongst other places." James replied, picking his flogger back up. "I think I'd rather there than London in all honesty too. As much as I love London, there's something beautiful about the countryside. What about you? Where do you come from?" 

"City kid, grew up in London," Gabriel explained. "Parks were about as close to green as we got. Been here of course, but when I've done freelance work, it's usually just in cities. I'd love to see Scotland, only seen Edinburgh. I heard the countryside is lovely."

"It's very green out in Scotland." Bond chuckled, stopping himself short of offering to take Gabriel out that far too see. Why make plans with a man he barely knew? Surely Bond wasn't dumb enough to fall into the same bad habits again, he couldn't allow for another Vesper. "It's quite different to the city."

"I did the cyber security for a genetic research firm there last summer. Edinburgh was beautiful, I'll have to plan a trip to the countryside when I have time," Gabriel stretched, and knelt in front of James again, letting his forehead touch the floor.

Seeing Gabriel like that, knelt so beautifully on the ground, was enough to move Bond's thoughts away from Vesper and mistakes and straight to his groin. "Perfect, you're perfect like that." He hummed, voice low as he admired the sight. "Kneeling for me, presenting yourself." He brought the flogger down, not overly hard, but by no means softly either, testing what kind of pain tolerance Gabriel had, seeing if he was as tough as he had claimed. 

Gabriel shuddered and keened. "Just like that, Sir. Please," he begged. He arched his back and moaned.

James smiled, letting out a small, appreciative sound as he brought the flogger down again, just a tad harder, still testing where the best swing would be from, how hard Gabriel liked it. "Like this, Gabriel?"

"Yes Sir," Gabriel panted. He let James get comfortable and find his stride.

"And how hard can you take it? Are you one of those people who likes broken skin? Should I leave marks that you'll feel for hours on you, Gabriel?" Another swing, no harder than the last one, but given with a little more follow through, James not wanting to attempt anything on the first go that Gabriel wasn't into. He laughed a little, realising that he probably should have gone through Gabriel's sheet first. 

"I'm a masochist Sir, you'll have to try a bit harder than that to make me safeword. I don't mind marks, but I'd rather you not break the skin, if you don't mind. It will make it a lot harder to rig,"

"No breaking skin," Bond replied with a small nod. Years of training had taught him how not to break skin when dealing with an enemy, which now had its benefits. Bringing the flogger down considerable harder, James was rewarded with the right of bright red marks across Gabriel's back, taking in both the sight of the freshly marked skin and the small sounds escaping from the submissive. 

Gabriel sighed appreciatively, leaning into the leather. He let his mind go quiet and drift, the adrenaline hitting him, his skin buzzing. It was like flying, almost as good as being rigged and suspended. He arched his back to show off the hard on, and laid across James's lap.

"Beautiful." James set a rhythm, picking a pace and strength that Gabriel seemed to enjoy, one hand braced lightly on the younger man's shoulder as if to keep him in place. "Look at those red marks, Gabriel, your skin brings them up so nicely." 

"Thank you, Sir," Gabriel's face blushed, both from arousal and praise. "You're excellent at this. Clearly this is one area you don't need any direction from me."

"I told you I was good with my hands." James replied still happily drinking in the sight, his own arousal building with every stroke. "I wasn't lying about that."

"No, Sir," Gabriel murmured. "You weren't. You weren't lying about how good you are at sex either." He was floating, blurting out far more than he would have if he'd had his usual defenses up. His brain was trying to remind him, but no point in listening to reason."

"Hopefully you'll be able to teach me the things I'm not good at. There'll be a reward in it for you if you can." There was something relaxing about watching Gabriel come undone so easily, about being able to give Gabriel some sort of release while having so much control over the situation. "You're a smart man, I'm sure you can manage it."

"I'll be happy to try, Sir," Gabriel smiled. "Just let me know what you want to learn. We can try some rigging later if Maddalena is free. She can show you how to tie, and rig me. After breakfast, we do need to go over that checklist. There's some limits we should talk about before we tackle the ropes."

Slowing his swing, Bond hummed in agreement. "I would like to learn the ropes, if you'll excuse the pun." He chuckled. "As for what I need to learn, I'm afraid that I can't quite answer that. I was sent to learn something, how to be a touch more caring perhaps, but my employer wasn't entirely straight with me. I think she just wanted me away from work."

"Well you mentioned edge play. We can do some knife play, as long as it's not the same day we're using the rigging. There's also aerial ribbon work, I have done a bit of that. Not really bondage, but extremely sensual. Wax play, breath play... I suppose it depends what you feel is sensual, what makes you feel emotionally connected. Is there some reason your boss wanted you away?"

"You're quite trusting, I appreciate that." Bond had to admit that he hadn't expected Gabriel to be open to quite so many things, especially so soon. "Have you done much knife play before? You sound quite fond of rigging, perhaps we'll have to skip the knife for a while. I like using ice and wax together, they compliment one another, and they don't leave any marks." He offered. "My employer feels as if in my current state I'm too emotional to work, which is a load of shit, if you'll excuse my language." 

"The knife part can come last... or before we have light days," Gabriel agreed. "After you've tried being tied yourself. I want you to experience being on the receiving end of sensory deprivation and rigging before we try edge play. Ice and wax sound fun, remind me to get some extra flat sheets from the laundry. I know you don't want to talk about what happened, how she died. But... we should probably talk about it at some point, before we try knives. It can bring up some pretty strong emotions, and I don't want them to hit you at the wrong time."

"I'll leave you a post-it note on the counter." Bond joked. "And I'm sure that I could manage one round of rigging, it can't be that bad." He added, setting the flogger down, running his hand over the now warm flesh. He wanted to ignore the rest of the conversation, James' normal approach to loss was to not talk about it and drink whenever it became too much, but he knew that he'd have to at one point, especially if he wanted to continue learning at the house. "A conversation for later. Certainly not before breakfast."

"Is there going to be sex between the shower and breakfast?" Gabriel found his own voice far too hopeful. Dammit, nothing subtle about the fact he sounded like he was gagging for Bond's cock.

"I certainly won't object to sex before the shower and sex." Bond grinned. "Especially when you sound so eager for it."

"Well it is quite good sex," Gabriel laughed. "Ah well, no use trying to pretend I'm smooth at this point. Yes, lots of sex. Whenever you want," he pressed back against James's hand.

"Sex whenever I want, I must have died and gone to heaven." James laughed back. "You're like a dream come true for me." Scratching lightly at the marks he had left on Gabriel's back, James moved his other hand down to give the others ass a playful squeeze, pinching it lightly. "No shame in wanting lots of sex, Gabriel. I'll always be happy to deliver on that request." 

"You have quite low expectations if this is heaven for you," Gabriel teased. "It's a pleasure house, James. I keep trying to explain that to you. Try some new things, improve on some others, find your triggers."

"I'm aware of my boundaries, Gabriel. I don't need to discover them here, trust me." Bond didn't feel the need to learn what his limits were at the pleasure house, he had training sessions at MI6 to tell him what he could and could not handle. "And as far as my expectations for heaven, this is about it. Sex whenever I want it. There'd probably be more alcohol though. And I wouldn't be here to learn anything, I'm a man stuck in my ways, so I've been told."

"Is it so unpleasant learning something new?" Gabriel sighed contentedly as James ran his hands over him. He straddled James's lap and captured his mouth in a hungry kiss. "You might find something you like. How about we call it trying something new instead?"

"I hate being told that I have to learn things, like I'm some sort of old dog that needs to be retrained in order to get my paycheck when obviously I'm very good at what I do." James shrugged before happily accepting Gabriel's hungry kiss, pushing back with playful force. "Every time I'm told to learn something knew it seems that it's because otherwise I'll be replaced by someone who is fitter, younger, not because it'll benefit me in work."

"Well read the list, and you can decide a new thing we try each day. And we won't say the word learning again."

"A new thing each day? And here I thought I was going to have a relaxing time here." Still, it was better to occupy his mind then let it sit there and think back to Vesper. "Surely you don't want to work me that hard?"

"Is this so unpleasant?" Gabriel murmured. He looped the cuffs on his wrists around James's neck and rutted against his belly, cock leaking slick between them. "I was rather enjoying it."

"This is neither unpleasant or new for me." Bond reached a hand down between them, lightly stroking at Gabriel's cock, smirking. "And I hope that you're still enjoying it, in fact, I'd wager that you are."

"I am," Gabriel said. "But you can't have it both ways. You have to read the paper for us to try something new. You haven't told me anything I haven't tried." He sighed, bending to bite at one of James's nipples.

"I suppose I'm just old fashioned then. I know what I like and don't really see a point in expanding on that." James replied, sucking in a breath as Gabriel bit at his nipple, his grip tightening on the others cock just so in return. "Is there really something so wrong with knowing what I like?"

"Not at all," Gabriel looked up. "And you're talented. But no reason to stop at vanilla sex because it's good. That's like stopping at vanilla ice cream. It's good, but there's better."

"I'm not vanilla ice cream, Gabriel." Bond warned. "You've known me for little over a day, don't act as if you know my ins and outs. If you want me to be rougher you don't have to goad me into it, you just have to ask." 

"I'm not trying to goad you, I just want you to be open minded," Gabriel said simply. "Isn't there anything you've wanted to try but didn't have a willing partner? And what if there's something your submissive needs that you don't know? You'd simply let them be unsatisfied?"

"I've had a lot of sex with a lot of different people, I think I'm fairly open minded. I don't think there's ever been an instance where I've been absolutely craving something certain out of sex and haven't gotten it. I can't say the same for leaving somebody unsatisfied of course, but I'd like to think that the people I have slept with would have just told me." Bond replied. "For example, you've already told me that you're very interested in rigging, I haven't really done much of that before, never had the appropriate space. There. There's something new."

"I think I understand why your boss sent you," Gabriel shook his head. "Are you this set in your ways about everything? It's a wonder you are willing to use an automatic weapon, rather than a musket ball and powder horn." A giggle escaped.

"It's not a crime to know what works and what doesn't work for you. Everybody is so damn intent on changing me somehow, for the better, right?" Bond grumbled. "No, I'm sorry, I'm getting all huffy over nothing. I just don't see the point in expanding my knowledge if what I already know works just fine."

"Have you ever bottomed?" Gabriel asked thoughtfully. "No, of course not. Why would you, when being on top works just fine..."

"I haven't no, not properly." Once for a mission, though Bond hadn't actually given up any of the control, he'd only acted as if he had. He wasn't an idiot, he knew how to stay alive on the field. "Is that a bad thing now? I'm doing something wrong by not being submissive?" 

"Not at all," Gabriel smiled. "I've tried being Dominant. Not for me. I do love caring for someone, and that's usually a dominant role. But I see sex as being about freedom, not control. Now, are you going to fuck me or not?" He raised an eyebrow.

Bond decided to leave his opinion of 'everything being about control' out of the conversation, much more interested in getting back to the sex they had been about to have. Pointedly ignoring the rest of the conversation in favour of flipping the two of the them over so that Bond was atop Gabriel and Gabriel was pressed between bed and Bond, he grinned, dropping his head down, making quick work of leaving a mark on the others neck, biting and sucking enough to leave a vivid mark. "Of course I'm going to fuck you. It's what I do best."

Gabriel arched against James, a moan escaping him. The friction between James's sweaty skin and the soft sheets was a delightful contrast. "About time," he murmured, squeezing the base of cock, trying to stave off the coiling in his belly brought on by the bite.

"So impatient." Bond chuckled, glancing up at Gabriel, drinking in the sight before him. "How can you so close from just a bite? Obviously the sex you've had up to this point has been rubbish."

"Take it as a complement, I tend to overthink things and not come," he panted.

"Well then, I'll have to work you until you can't think, I can't have you distracted now, can I?" Bond demonstrated as much, snaking one hand down to replace Gabriel's hand with his own, gently squeezing the base of his cock, while he set to using his mouth on any part of Gabriel's body that he could reach, biting, sucking, leaving tiny little marks down from his original bite, each one lasting only a fraction of a second, teasing Gabriel with the actions. 

"Sounds good," Gabriel agreed. "Apparently I've reverted back to being a teenager."

"In what way?" Bond chuckled. "Feeling hornier than you expected? I am good with my hands, I told you that."

"Being desperate for sex when the wind blows wrong?" Gabriel grinned. "I like your hands. They can stay if they'll always get this reaction out of me. My ex used to get angry, if I didn't get off fast enough. He'd get frustrated, and it didn't exactly do something for the mood."

"How can anybody get frustrated during sex? It's sex, not a psych eval. You're supposed to be enjoying yourself." The idea of getting frustrated was absurd. "He was obviously rubbish at sex, it's a good thing I came along to show you how much better sex can be." 

"Not everyone feels that way," Gabriel agreed. "I am glad you're here. It's fixing my ego a good bit."

"If somebody finds sex frustrating they are doing it all wrong." Bond laughed. Sex was supposed to be fun, not cause more stress. "I'm glad I'm boosting your ego, it's the least I can do, really. Makes for better sex if you think about it."

"Mmm hmmm," Gabriel nodded. "Its nice to be on the other end of the spoiling. Now, where's the damn lube?" 

"Where's the damn lube?" Bond rose an eyebrow, shaking his head, a playful smirk on his lips. "No, now you can wait, Gabriel. You're not the one who makes the demands, we go at my pace or at no pace at all." James demonstrated as such by slowing down his movements, bites turning into feint little nips, his hand loosely ghosting over Gabriel's cock. "Good things come to those who wait."

"You're an arse," Gabriel groaned. "Get me all worked up just to tell me good things come to those who wait..." He took several slow breaths and cracked his eyes open. "Ok,I can hold on. I think anyway," another noisy exhale. He ran his hands down James's chest and through his hair. "Gods, you feel good."

"Maybe I'm teaching you something new." Bond teased. "Besides, you'll only have to hold out for as long as I can, which is never all that long. I'll have my cock in you soon enough, don't you worry about that."

"Tease," Gabriel managed, stretching against James. He lick his palm and slid it down Bond's cock. "So if I can make you come first, I'm home free then? Unlike you, I'm always up for learning something new." He winked.

"Don't try and bait me into a 'who can make the other person come first' competition, Gabriel, I just told you I was going to drag it out, not speed it up," Bond managed a chuckle through a small moan, moving to Gabriel's hand before stopping the action, giving the other a pointed look. "You're too clever for your own good, or maybe you're just too horny for your own good."

"Too horny for my own good, definitely, especially where you're concerned," Gabriel smiled. "Besides, if you're really good, I can come more than once. I can certainly come twice if I don't ejaculate. Trained submissive, Sir. Remember?" He licked his lips.

"You're not allowed to come before breakfast then." Bond replied. "No matter how badly you want to, no matter how much I work you up to it, you're not allowed to come until after you've eaten." 

"Eaten you? Eaten food? You'll really have to be a bit more specific," Gabriel rolled onto his stomach and stretched his arse back towards James. "I do so want to please you, Sir."


	5. Chapter 5

"Eaten food," Bond clarified, his hands moving down to squeeze at Gabriel's ass, enjoying the sight. "You've got some real cheek, you know that? And I'm not talking about your ass, though that's considerably nice too." He shifted off the bed, retrieving the lube finally before settling back down, running a lazy finger across Gabriel's hole. "You do please me, you please me quite a bit."

"I've been trying not to take myself so seriously, and you're good for that," Gabriel smiled back at him over his shoulder. "Gods your hands are criminal at that. I don't think I've ever laughed in bed before. Its... different. Good, but different."

"You must have been having boring sex up until now then. It' supposed to be fun." Bond repeated the action, slowly dragging his finger across. "Sex is supposed to be light hearted and enjoyable, you should laugh more. Especially you, you should laugh a lot more, it's a wonderful sound." 

"Thank you," Gabriel's smile was genuine. "You make it a lot more comfortable. I'm not used to being this at ease in bed. It was easier when I was younger... but then after my ex... You're a really pleasant change. You make me laugh."

"He sounds like a right ass. Let's hope he doesn't meet me in a dark alleyway." Bond joked, though the threat itself was somewhat serious. "I can't imagine having an uncomfortable bedmate." Slicking his fingers, Bond moved again to slowly drag a single digit down before pushing it in, just enough for Gabriel to feel it, making slow, small movements. "If I ever make you uncomfortable, you let me know."

"You've been great so far, actually," Gabriel took a deep breath and relaxed around James's finger. "I wasn't sure how I'd react after my ex, but... You make me wish I had met you first. I have no idea where he ended up, but I don't think he'll be showing up anytime soon. At least I hope not. I'll tell you if I get uncomfortable, I promise. So far I'm just enjoying you touching me. I bet you give great massages too, those hands are amazing."

"You don't want to have met me first, trust me. I've got an appalling track record with people." Bond concentrated on keeping his movements as slow and teasing as possible, keeping true to his promise of teasing Gabriel for as long as Bond himself could hold out on fucking him. "I give great everything, really." He added with a chuckle. 

"Don't tease like that, then I'll want you to suck me," Gabriel groaned. "And its been ages since someone did. I told you I have an oral fixation. Doesn't matter which side of it I'm on."

"If you behave I might just indulge you. I might make you beg for it though." Bond hummed in reply, making careful slow progress opening Gabriel up, his eyes fixed on the sight before him. 

"I would beg for that," Gabriel sighed. He leaned back into James's fingers. "Not too much stretching, I want to feel you."

"I'm sure you would. I'll be expecting it." Bond removed his fingers at the request, reaching for more lube, slicking himself up. "Remember, Gabriel, you're not allowed to come."

"Yes, Sir," Gabriel let James guide him, and sank back on his cock with a whine. James had teased him and relaxed him, but this had that delicious stretch of just a bit too much. James's hands on his hips kept his movements slow, but he squeezed around him, determined to get a reaction. So far James had maintained his control, even during sex, and Gabriel wanted to strip that away and see him enjoy.

Letting out a low moan, Bond did his best to keep the slow pace, reminding himself that he was supposed to be teasing Gabriel, not fucking him into the bed. It was hard though, with the pressure on his cock, with the way that Gabriel felt around him.   
Gabriel let James bottom out, and then let his hips swing in seductive circles, bringing him back to grind against James's sack. "You can fuck me harder, Sir. I don't mind. I won't come, promise." Gabriel kept the movements small, managing to stave off his own orgasm despite James's noises of pleasure.

God, Gabriel certainly knew all the tricks in the book, it was quickly becoming apparent that Bond was equally matched as far as sexual seduction went. "You're good with your hips, fuck, I'm going to do my best to make you come, I hope you can hold out." Picking up pace, unable to hold off any longer, Bond adjusted them so that he had a better angle. pushing in, fast and erratic in his movements."

"That's cheating," Gabriel panted. Bond's furious rhythm had him leaking on the sheets. But he had one advantage... His voice. "James, I want you to come, please? You feel so good. Will you come inside me, Sir?" He managed a good roll of his hips, and clenched around James, biting his hand to distract himself.

Gabriel's voice was all sugar and honey, the complete opposite to the downright sinful actions of his hips which were actively working against Bond and his endeavour to drag the whole situation out. With a sharp slap to Gabriel's ass, Bond attempted something that sounded liked 'good things come to those who wait' but what probably came out as a heated, needy moan. 

Gabriel moaned but managed to stave off the orgasm. "Why wait, when you can come now and later?" 

"I don't have to wait for anything, I'm the one in charge. You're the one who has to wait." Bond replied, barely managing banter between moans, close to the brink. 

"So then come," he squirmed lazily. "I'm not allowed to until after breakfast anyway, so it's only fair that I get to enjoy feeling your orgasm."

Bond came with a pleased moan, not needing any more suggestion to do as much, a small, blissed out smile on his face as he rode through it. "I should gag you when we have sex," he chuckled. "You're mouth is sinful."

Gabriel smiled at the complement. "But then if you gagged me I couldn't tell you how much I enjoy it." He turned over and sat up, reaching for James. He managed a hungry kiss, and then sighed, hands running over James's cheekbones and throat.

"I can tell how much you enjoy it, don't worry about that." Bond replied, pulling Gabriel in closer, deepening the kiss. "You make it hard to focus, I'm supposed to be a man in control of my body, but you undo all that." 

Gabriel hummed into the kiss. "Just think about how good it feels from my end. Are you ready for me to feed you breakfast?"

"Perhaps after a shower, I have a reputation to uphold." Bond smiled in return, pulling away. "And you need a shower too, we can have one together if you like, no shower sex though, I like to be clean when I get out of my showers." 

"Spoilsport," Gabriel smiled. "Fine, no shower sex before I feed you." He stretched and padded off to start the shower. "I need to start stretching if you're going to work me out like that every time."

"I'm sure that you look good doing yoga, I wouldn't complain." Bond followed behind, admiring the view of Gabriel's ass. "Naked yoga I feel would be better for you, help really stretch you out." 

"Wouldn't you like that?" Gabriel stepped under the hot water. "Come in and let me scrub you down. Then we can discuss what kind of exercise I'll do exactly WITHOUT clothes on. Certain things are best done with your bits covered."

"I can't think of anything that's made better by the addition of clothing." Bond shrugged, climbing into the shower. "All the great things in life involve being naked." 

"Have you tried to play polo without clothes? Or football? Especially that horrid American version? Although I think the point of that one is grabbing each other with the tights on," he scrubbed James's back. "There''s always naked ballet with only the pointe shoes..."

"You're ruining my fun, Gabriel. What's so bad with wanting to admire hundreds of naked bodies- no wait I sound like an old pervert. What if it was just you naked, hm? I wouldn't complain about that and I doubt that you'd play football or be a classically trained dancer."

"Don't underestimate me, James," Gabriel winked. "There's lots of things I'm good at. You'll see. And I dance perfectly well, thank you. Not ballet, but ballroom." He stretched his neck and shoulders and sighed happily.

"Ballroom? That's one I wasn't expecting. Here, turn around and let me wash your back." Bond had to admit that the idea of Gabriel knowing how to dance hadn't crossed his mind at all. IT and ballroom didn't seem like things that went together. 

Gabriel relaxed back into James's hands and hummed happily. "What were you expecting? I know some martial arts as well, and I love to cook. I write poetry. People don't usually ask what i like beyond what whip."

"To be fair, I don't really make a habit out of getting to know anybody." Bond offered as way of an explanation. "You knowing martial arts is a bit of a surprise, I'll admit. Any other secrets in that clever mind of yours?"

"Oh this and that..." Gabriel thought for a minute. "I can't go past noon without coffee, I love cats. I love to travel and learn new languages. I want to study traditional shibari in Japan.”

"Perhaps once you've gotten set back up in London you'll be able to travel." Bond smiled, reaching for shampoo, content to spend an extended time in the shower just talking. "Where have you travelled to? Are you one of those 'fill the passport as quickly as possible' kind of people?"

"Only around the UK, and here, so far. Maybe when I get settled in and find a job."

"I'm sure you'll get the chance to travel wherever you want someday. You seem smart enough to conquer the world." Bond meant the compliment, there was something about Gabriel that suggested he wasn't just an ordinary person, obviously quite smart. Washing the shampoo out of Gabriel's hair, Bond reached around to turn the shower off, climbing out, retrieving the other a towel, holding it out for him to walk into. 

Gabriel snuggled into the towel and let James dry him. "Tell me something about you?"

"I don't think there's really anything interesting about me to share, not compared to all the hidden interests and talents that you have." Bond chuckled, deflecting the conversation somewhat. "Where did you learn martial arts? The same place you learnt to dance?" 

"No, its rather recent. After my ex. I realized I didn't know him at all, had no idea what he was capable of," Gabriel pulled on black exercise pants and a grey t shirt. "Ballroom dance... Well, my ex's family thought subs were to be displayed. Also how i learned piano and language. I'm just lucky they didn't want me to embroider or something, I'd be in jail for murder." Gabriel fetched the breakfast tray that had been left in the kitchen and settled at the foot of the bed, cross legged.

"Displayed? That's hilarious. It's funny to think that any one person could be displayed. It's for some people, sure, but I can't see the point in forcing somebody to walk around all dolled up attached to your arm. You can tell when one half of the party isn't interested in exhibiting and you can tell when one half doesn't like being shown off like a purebred dog." Bond moved to dry himself off, before moving to sit on the bed's end. "Martial arts however, I can agree with. Everybody should know a bit of self defence." 

"Some people want a trained submissive as a status symbol," Gabriel frowned. "I talk too much and have too many opinions apparently." He handed James a plate of food.

"I'd rather an intelligent one who can run circles around the stuff up old bastards at parties. Though in saying that I can't see that going down all that well at any parties I'm forced to attend." Bond paused for a moment, taking the plate, chuckling. "Then again, it might be the perfect payback to my boss for sending me out to those parties in the first place. I got in trouble at the last one for having a quick session behind the buffet table." 

"Wow, how come I don't get to go to parties like that?" Gabriel laughed. "Any time you have to go to a party like that when I'm back in London, let me know. I've always wanted to get thrown of a black tie party. Usually I have to play the piano or cook or something."

"I try and stay well behaved at them, but I've got quite the appetite and unfortunately when I'm bored it get's worse." Bond smirked, giving Gabriel a knowing wink. "I suppose it's just that I spend too much time around people trying to force information out of each other that it gets annoying at parties. I'm normally the one on display, so you won't have to worry about that if you get the chance to come to a party with me."

"You? On display? Not that you aren't good looking..." Gabriel frowned. "I just usually expect someone effeminate and... pretty. Not handsome, like you, to be on display. What kind of parties do you go to that you get to have sex under the buffet table? I need to go to your kind of parties Clearly I'm missing out." He refilled his coffee from the carafe and leaned on Bond's lap.

"The type of parties where you're trying to win over the people who fund your budget for work." Bond replied with a lazy shrug. He couldn't say that he really enjoyed having to rub elbows with those who put in large amounts of money into the double-O program, one of the reasons why he normally entertained himself in other ways. "I can't say I like having to justify my work to people who don't understand my work, so normally I just wander around until I find somebody to seduce and have my own party." Biting into his breakfast, Bond moved a hand down to gently knead one of Gabriel's shoulders. "Perhaps next time I can get you to tamper with the invites so that I'm not on the guest list." 

"Or I can wait for you in the coat closet," Gabriel suggested, biting into the melon. "I might have to come to one of those parties just to figure out exactly what it is that you do. Or you could always exhibit me as the entertainment. My ex did that at the holiday party last year, apparently he'd been bragging how fast my ass turned red under a whip. I destroyed the credit history of every person who clapped, and he didn't even figure out that it was me. Not my favorite memory, but if you ask nicely..."

"You'd probably get lost under all those coats, which I can't imagine would be too much fun." The idea of having somebody who wasn't trying to show him up or talk about work to him did seem appealing though. "Unfortunately if you went as my date people would whisper about you all night, I've got a bit of a reputation back home. If you don't mind being stared at and bothered by people who think they're better than everyone you're welcome to come, but exhibiting on the first party might just make you look a little less like my date and more like a paid escort. I don't think anybody thinks me capable of actually showing affection to another human being." 

"I could always rent an expensive dress collar and be your arm candy?" Gabriel grinned. "What's wrong with being a paid escort? Training to be a Courtesan costs a lot of money. And it would embarrass the shit out of my ex, can you make sure our picture gets in the society pages? He was a bit obsessed and never managed it." He looked thoughtful. "You're too nice for that though James, you make me wish there was somewhere important I had to be seen so you could go with me."

"A paid escort on the arms of James Bond makes you a notch in my belt before it makes you any sort of professional, unfortunately. I have a habit of making people more like a prize I've claimed than anything else, years of work I suppose." James replied, feeling a little bad about his track record all of the sudden. "I'm sure I can get our picture on the society page, or at least yours, I'm not overly fond of my face on display."

"It's not important to me really, I'd just like to show him that I'm not as much of a... disappointment, that someone would want to be seen with me," Gabriel thought out loud. "I'm not much for attention. I'd be perfectly happy to be loved, than kept, next time I'm offered a collar. But no use wishing... you did, however, say there would be orgasms after breakfast. Are you done yet?"

Bond felt for the other man, Gabriel didn't deserve whoever it was that he had been with previously, the bastard sounded like a real piece of work, somebody that Bond would have enjoyed making a fool of on a mission. "I'm sure that next time you'll be loved and not just a trinket, you're far too clever to fall for the same sort of idiot twice." Smiling he looked down at his plate. "Not quite, you really are impatient, you know that? Even more than I am." 

"I've rediscovered my sex drive and lost my inhibitions all at once, are you complaining?" Gabriel rolled over on his stomach and wiggled his hips. "And I don't believe in love. One collar was quite enough to cure me of that. Next time I'll settle for someone I can at least be compatible with. I'm far too cynical to believe that a platinum collar equals love, it just means that someone has money to burn on something impractical."

"I'll never complain when there is sex involved." Bond made a show of finishing the last of his breakfast, setting the plate down and pulling Gabriel up closer to him. "Here's to compatibility then, yes? To being able to have sex and enjoy it but not worry about valentine's day or impressing the in-laws" He chuckled. "And also to still bagging expensive gifts, because I'm a fan of spoiling people."

"I'm not really... I don't need expensive gifts. I'd rather travel- but anyway, sex sounds wonderful," Gabriel hummed into the kiss. "Your subs are very lucky, James."

"I'll be sure to buy you plane tickets as thanks after the session then." Bond couldn't help but want to offer something to Gabriel, the man had helped him relax for the first time in months, he felt it right. "I wouldn't say my subs are lucky at all, I've got a terrible track record." Bond shrugged, moving over so that he was above Gabriel, closing in on him. "I'm too much the predator." 

Gabriel tilted up his chin, exposing his throat. "I'd be very lucky to be your prey, Sir," he shivered, biting back a moan. "As long as that plane ticket includes a session in your bed, I'd be pleased to accept."

"I've got no objections with that." Bond purred, leaning in, resisting the urge to leave another mark on Gabriel's neck quite so fast. He had to remember that Gabriel wasn't actually his, that James had no real claim to the man underneath him. "I could be your sugar daddy."

Gabriel turned pale and flinched. "I, can I be excused please, Sir?"

Frowning, realising that he'd said something wrong, Bond moved away from Gabriel, giving him space. "Of course, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say something that would upset you, I'll give you space if you'd like, rather than you leaving the cottage." 

"Just give me a minute..." Gabriel calmed his breathing, and opened his eyes. He rubbed ineffectively at the tears that spilled down his cheeks. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have gotten..." He turned his face into the duvet and sobbed.

"No need to say sorry, Gabriel, you haven't done anything wrong." Carefully, Bond say down beside him, resting a gentle hand in his back, ready to move away if it seemed as if Gabriel didn't want him there. "It wasn't my intention to drag up bad memories, I promise."

Gabriel curled against him with a hiccup, and wiped his eyes. "Did you read my file at all, or did your boss not give it to you? I'm sure they did a very thorough check on me."

"I'll admit to getting about as far as your name and your face before closing the file, I've always found it better to make assumptions and work from face value. Looking back in it, considering I'm not currently working I really should have read the file." James admitted, feeling somewhat the fool. Wrapping an arm around Gabriel, doing his best to make the other man feel safe, he sighed. "I'm lacking charm remember? I'm a little too cocky when it comes to my ability to read people."

"Not your fault," Gabriel sniffed. "I... I don't know how much you know about the pleasures houses, I'm going to assume not much since you didn't come here willingly? After the breakup, I came back here to train as a Courtesan. My ex used to tell me that all I would ever be good for was a boy toy for some rich man. I wanted to prove him wrong. As a Courtesan, I trained exclusively with one of the Master's. The tattoo on my back, not everyone has one. You have to train for three sessions, having been invited for the third. I was invited back, because each Master trains one Courtesan before he retires. I don't want you to feel guilty... I'm not much for boasting about it. But I... Not everyone is like me. I'm not a boy toy James, at least give me the respect of not insinuating you can buy my affections."

Bond had obviously stuck his foot quite far into his mouth, feeling more and more the inconsiderate idiot. "I didn't mean to cause any offence, I promise. I'm used to dealing with people who like expensive gifts and being showered in other people's money, not that I should be excusing my poor form of course." Gabriel wouldn't be the first person Bond had offended because he had neglected his file.

"I really am sorry, but I'll understand if you'd rather me work with somebody else from now on. You shouldn't have to put up with me if I've gone and made an idiot of myself."

"No- I..." Gabriel sat up. "I enjoy being with you. It's flattering. I just ... I want you to know I'm not here for your money. I won't turn down an introduction for a job, but I'm used to taking care of myself. It's hard to explain. It's a fine line between learning to stand up for myself, and wanting to run when someone shows affection. My scars are too close to the surface."

"Never feel like you have to accept anything in give you," Bond offered a light smile. "If I offer you anything, it'll always be something you can refuse, I'm used to being the one who pays for everything, but I can understand wanting to make your own way." He moved to hoist Gabriel up into his lap, holding him close. "And as for your scars... well, I suppose we can work on healing together."

"I'm trying not to get attached, I really am," Gabriel snuffled. "They warned me that this would happen, that I would become emotionally attached. I didn't believe them. I'm not emotional about much. And then you had to come in here and be so damn stubborn and mysterious... and NICE. Why do you have to be so nice?"

"It's a fault of mine," Bond offered as mock apology. "I can't really turn it off. If you'd like, I can try and be more grouchy, though I can't see you enjoying all that much." He hadn't intended to lead Gabriel on, but it seemed that double-O seven never really turned off.

"Just ignore me, I'll get over it," Gabriel sat up. "I'm not sure what your bosses were thinking. I don't think you're lacking in the charm department. I can see why people are willing to crawl behind buffet tables with you. You make them feel like the center of the universe. It's a very good quality for a Dom. Are you still game for some rigging after the introductions? And do bring your sheet... they're going to ask." He managed a smile.

"I'm not always genuine when I'm being charming, I think M -my boss- would rather me learn how to actually be charming rather than using it to my advantage," which was really what Bond struggled with, he knew that. Vepser, and perhaps now Gabriel were lucky enough to have been amongst the few who has seen Bond without the agent there as a buffer.

"I suppose I'm as ready as I'll ever be." He nodded, not wanting to move, wanting to stay where he was and make sure Gabriel was actually okay. "Hopefully I make a good impression on all fronts."

"Maddalena wouldn't have fed you if she didn't like you," Gabriel said confidently. He grabbed his own piece of paper and led James to the main house. "Just please don't clap when they introduce me, god its going to be embarrassing."

Maddalena gave him a hug, and true to his prediction, introduced him as the pride and joy of the house, the first male Courtesan in many years. 

"Thank you all," Gabriel smiled shyly. "If you've been here for a session before, you'll know how we start. But let's start with our newest sub, this is Lorena. Each Dom will give at least five complements. They can be physical, personality, anything you see as beautiful." He helped her stand on the pedestal, her cheeks flushed red.

James had to resist the the urge to clap, a smile on his face as Gabriel was introduced, burying his hands into pockets in an attempt to stop a cheeky clap if only for the sake of saving him from further embarrassment. It was obvious that unlike most people Bond had met in the years, Gabriel wasn't one to brag about his accomplishments, something that Bond had to admire in the other man. 

Looking at the woman, Lorena, up on the pedestal, James did his best to concentrate. If he were to be honest, he didn't see much use in putting somebody up there to talk about, he'd always been more interested in complimenting people in private where such words seemed more intimate. Here it seemed forced and subject to false claims just to help pass onto the next subject. Still, Bond did have to admit that the woman up there was quite beautiful. He didn't know if he could say anything about her personality, not knowing her aside from the way she stood, but he had to play along if he ever wanted to 'pass' as it were and get back to work. 

"The dimples in her back," He offered casually, not actually sure if he was supposed to offer the compliments out loud. "They're..." He fell short a little. Complimenting people was part of his job, but trying to offer up a sincere compliment to somebody he knew nothing about proved difficult. "They accentuate her back, there's something charming about them." 

Gabriel hid a proud smile, and watched James. Maddalena helped Lorena down, and offered Gabriel a hand.  
"James?" She asked, giving Gabriel's hand to him. "Will you start for us?" Gabriel couldn't meet his eyes, flustered. He didn't know what James would choose. This was his least favorite activity to submit for, he always found it uncomfortable.

This, Bond could do. There were a number of things that he could think to compliment Gabriel on, picking which one to start with was what was difficult. "He's got a strong will and a heart kinder than most people I've met. And he's a great deal more than he appears to be on the surface." Bond offered, a fond smile on his face. "Plus, he's ass is gorgeous." He added, giving Gabriel a wink, trying to make Gabriel, obviously uncomfortable standing up there, smile.

Gabriel blushed prettily, and allowed a small smile. "Thank you, Sir," he managed, bending to kiss James's hand. "The pleasure is mine."

"I assure you it's mine, Gabriel." Bond smiled in return. There was a nasty voice, somewhere in the back of his head, reminding him of Vesper and how much of a mess he had just walked away from, but he couldn't help but feel a fondness for the other man. 

Gabriel stepped down into James's waiting hands, not waiting for anyone else to speak. "Maddalena, we're going to work in the rigging room. I had a rather long night." He ducked to hide another blush, and pulled James quickly behind him before there were more questions.  
Gabriel laid out a set of ropes and turned to face James. "I'd like to do this for you, Sir, if I may." He knelt at James's feet, head against his thigh.

Allowing Gabriel to lead them away from the group and into another room, Bond hoped that he hadn't made Gabriel too uncomfortable, reaching down to cup Gabriel's face lightly, smiling down at the submissive. "Of course, you're my little Greek God, I'd let you do just about anything, Gabriel." 

Gabriel smiled. "I hope you feel that way once I'm done tying you. Hold out your hands? I'm going to keep them in front of you so you can see. Do you want to sit or stand?"

"I trust you." Bond said it out loud more for him than for Gabriel's sake. He had to remind himself that this wasn't work, that he wasn't being restrained for interrogation, that it was supposed to be about learning, and more importantly about making Gabriel happy. "Which is easier? I can sit or stand." He offered, wanting the whole thing to run as smoothly as possible, holding his hands out.

"Sit with your legs stretched out in front of you? I will walk you through it this time, and then you can practice on me," Gabriel explained with a soft smile. "Thank you for trusting me, it does mean a lot. If any any time you start to feel anxious, please tell me? I don't want you to associate this with anything negative."

"I'm sure I can manage a few ropes." Bond hummed, doing as he was instructed, sitting with his legs stretched out, realizing he was a little less flexible than he thought he was. 

Gabriel started with Bond's wrists, and worked his way up to the elbows. But the time he had finished James's arms, there was a dragonfly pattern. "This is usually done behind the back, but I wanted you to see how it looks. We can have Maddalena work with us another time, I just needed a bit of quiet. I'm sorry, this morning left me a little bit emotional. "


	6. Chapter 6

Looking down at the pattern, Bond had to admire the work put into it, even if being restrained was causing alarm bells in the back of his head, telling him to shut down and stop giving out information. James knew rationally of course that there was no danger or interrogation, but he still couldn't help but listen to that small nattering voice in the back of his mind. "We all need some space from time to time." He offered somewhat tensely. "I can't fault you for wanting a break from it all after how stressful this morning was."

Gabriel picked up a pair of scissors and laid it next to Bond. "All you need to say is red, and I will cut the rope," he ran a hand down James's shoulder to soothe away the tension. "Thank you, for what you said. It was very... kind," he looked at Bond through his eyelashes. "Feet now?"

"I'm fine," Bond reassured again, watching Gabriel with careful, watchful eyes. Not interrogation. He reminded himself. There was no reason to feel at all under threat. This was supposed to be relaxing, or at least it was learning how to help somebody else relax, and obviously enjoy themselves. Nothing work related at all. "I was just being honest. i thought that was the point of the exercise. To give honest compliments on whoever was standing in front of us. I could have gone on about you, admittedly, it was a little easier to think of compliments for you than a stranger." 

"I would think it's much the same as sleeping with a stranger, finding something in that moment that's attractive enough to make you want them," Gabriel said thoughtfully, tying an intricate pattern around James's feet that looked rather like Roman sandals. "Can I kiss you?" he asked shyly, crawling into James's lap. "We never did get to that after breakfast sex after my little... meltdown." He bent to lap at James's collarbone and grind against his lap.

Sleeping with a stranger was easy, it didn't take James much at all to find a reason for sex with a stranger, or sex in general, really. Complimenting somebody with some form of honesty though, that was foreign to him. Compliments were normally paid only as means of getting information. "I think sex is easier." He shrugged. "People don't get attached to sex, people get attached to words." and words could quite often be life or death for him. 

Taking in another deep breath, pushing training aside once more, doing his best not to 'agent-out' -for lack of a better term- on poor Gabriel, Bond smiled, nodding and leaning forward. "Well, we'll just have to make up for that, won't we?”

Gabriel leaned into the kiss, letting out a small shudder as he breathed in the smell of James's skin. "Are you doing alright so far? I'd really like to ride you."

James nodded, words escaping him for a moment, the urge to stay silent as per protocol too far forward for James to catch it before he was able to correct himself. "I'm fine." He managed after a moment, a tight smile. "Is it possible to ride me from this position, I can't imagine it would be all that conformable for you." 

"I can, or I can get some pillows and you can lie back," Gabriel shimmied out of his loose trousers. "Or your feet are tied loosely enough, we can go use one of the benches. However you feel comfortable, Sir. Just remember, this isn't work. There isn't a right answer." He unfastened a few of the buttons on James's shirt. 

"I know it isn't work," Bond sucked in a breath, moving against the restraints some. "And what exactly do you think I do that'd have me worried about a few ropes?" He added with a small, somewhat forced chuckle. "I just like having my hands free, that's all, really, Gabriel. I'm sure I can manage. Here, help me lie down."

"I think you work for the government, and you have more scars than can be explained by a desk job. They don't bother me, I just want to make sure that I'm not hitting any of your triggers. Pleasure, Sir. Not work," Gabriel reached for his trousers. "I'm going to unzip your trousers, and get some lube out of my pants."

"I was in the Navy, remember? That certainly wasn't a desk job." Bond gave as way of explanation. Gabriel was smart, and it made sense that he'd come to some sort of an assumption about his work. "Pleasure. Not work." He nodded. "I'm aware, yes."

"Navy? James, give me some credit," Gabriel sighed. "Your file said you work for MI6, and I certainly don't see desk jobs leading to the kind of parties where there's sex behind the buffet table. You came to a pleasure house armed. I know you don't want to talk about it, but don't lie to me. It's okay to not say anything. You have scars on your wrists from handcuffs, I've seen those on abused subs before, and those are not caused by police issue cuffs. Those are caused by anti-escape cuffs with razor edges. You have too many shadows in your eyes for someone riding a desk. You lost someone. It's alright, I know you don't want to tell me. But I've seen that look before."

"Red." James reply was blunt, the agent shutting off completely to the conversation, not wanting to hear any more of it. He wasn't in the business of people pulling him apart so quickly, or people being able to make accurate assumptions so quickly about him. It was threatening and Bond could feel himself quickly slipping into a mindset that would only prove dangerous for Gabriel. 

Gabriel didn't hesitate, he cut through first the wrist ropes, and then the ones attaching James's ankles. He let James gather his thoughts, and brought back a blanket and a bottle of cool water. He sat next to him quietly, and let him decide when to undo the rest of the leg ropes and re-fasten his own pants, rather than risk setting Bond any more on edge. 

Making fast work of removing the ropes from around his legs, Bond pulled himself to his feet, the bottle of water tight in his hand as he made himself presentable, taking in short, sharp breaths. "I'm going out, I'll be back later." He offered as a middle ground, in no mood to talk about what happened. "Don't follow me." 

"Yes, Sir," he cleaned up the cut pieces of rope and dressed. He decided to go stretch in the sun. The olive orchards were beautiful in the warm spring air, and he stopped into the cottage to grab a book and a towel. No naked yoga, but a stretch would go a long way towards settling his mind. He worked his way through the ones he could remember, and then grabbed his novel. He finished a bottle of water and settled against a tree, muscles limber after the exercise. He was more tired than he thought, and he let his eyes shut.

Leaving, Bond did one of the things he did best, heading for the closest bar and depositing a large amount of money into their till. He was an idiot, letting himself get worked up like that and already James was regretting snapping at Gabriel for what amounted to little more than a few clever guesses and a bit of rope. He was an idiot too for heading for a bar but he could regret that later, there would be plenty of time for it he was sure. 

Drinking his way through an expensive bottle of whiskey and two and a half 'Vespers' Bond eventually managed to talk himself into heading back to the pleasure house and Gabriel. He wasn't in the position where faking his death for a few months of RnR were possible, James knowing that his normal trick would only serve to land the sweet man he'd yelled at in trouble with MI6. 

Stumbling back, Bond first checked the cottage, not overly surprised when Gabriel wasn't there, instead checking the grounds, eventually finding Gabriel who appeared to be sleeping. Standing near him, swaying somewhat, Bond cleared his throat in the hopes of waking Gabriel and getting his attention. "I'd offer you flowers but I spent all the cash in my wallet on alcohol." Far from an apology, but Bond had never been all that good at those. 

"Oh thank god, I was worried," Gabriel jumped up and hugged James, wincing. "Youch... sunburn. I told you I don't need you to buy me things. Do you need some food? Or a nap? I rather think a shower might be in order, and a swim might help with not getting a hangover later."

Returning the hug careful of Gabriel's sunburn, Bond gave a small shrug. "I'd like to buy you things though. As a show of thanks, and apology as it were." Swaying some, he nodded, moving to lead them both back to their cottage. "I think something for your sunburn is in order first, and then maybe some answers on my behalf." 

It was a short walk back, and Gabriel almost regretted that James let his hand go when they arrived. The alcohol did seem to relax James in ways that sex hadn't though. 

"That's something you should save for when you have a sub of your own, buy them things, spoil them," he poured them each a cool glass of water. "You don't owe me an apology, James. I know this isn't comfortable for you, and it wasn't your idea."

"I don't know if I'd ever settle down again, it proved to be more pain than it was worth last time." Bond shrugged, moving to check if any of the cupboards had cream for Gabriel's sunburn. "I'd rather just spoil the Submissive's I have while I have them instead, I've got to do something with the money I have." He added. "And as for an apology, I really do owe you one, I shouldn't have reacted the way did, uncomfortable or not." 

"I think you might be surprised what a house trained submissive would be like," Gabriel handed him a bottle of aloe from his suitcase. "Pardon my saying so, but it sounds like you had a bad experience. Someone on their knees giving you their absolute submission wouldn't have left you so reluctant... unless you lost them. But it's not my business. I just wish we had met, before our last relationships." The last part was whispered, not sure if he wanted James to hear or not.

"She betrayed me." Bond forced the words out, taking the aloe from Gabriel, directing him onto the bed where James would have a better angle to work at. "And in betraying me, she drowned. Serves the bitch right too." Harsh words he never thought he'd have to use against Vesper leaving his mouth, unfiltered from the alcohol. "I trusted her with everything and she turned out to be using me, that's my bad experience. That's why I was sent here. Because The first person I gave my heart to was kind enough to remind me that there's no place for love in my life." 

"Oh, James," Gabriel swallowed. "I'm so sorry. You should have told me, instead of letting me ramble on and on. Leave the lotion, I'll do it later. Come here," Bond smelled like expensive alcohol and sweat, too good in Gabriel's mind. He pulled James down on the bed next to him, and shed his own clothes. "What can I do to help?"

"I don't need any help." Bond shrugged, not at all interested in being coddled. "Let me put the aloe onto your back to help with the sunburn, it'll be better if I do it now rather than later." 

"Sod the damn cream!" Gabriel was frustrated, but he rolled over onto his stomach with a sigh. "You smell good, it's distracting," he murmured. "Are you any good at drunk sex?"

"You will listen to me, Gabriel, and do as you're told." James bit back, just as fierce, authority strong in his tone. "You won't get so much as a tease until that cream is applied, you should have remembered sunscreen." 

"I didn't mean to fall asleep," he protested, but he let Bond apply the cool cream. "Thank you, that does feel good. God your hands should be illegal, James."

"Actually, I have a licence to use them any way I see fit." James replied. "And falling asleep has nothing to do with the application of sunscreen."

"I wasn't going to be outside so long, and I can't reach my back anyway. You said I should stretch." Gabriel swayed his hips. "Did you see anything in town besides the bar? There's a pretty decent club to go dance."

"I wasn't really looking for anything else but the bar," Bond shrugged. "You need to take care of yourself, you know that right? If you burn easily, it's important to put sunscreen on, even if you're only outside for a short while." 

"I know... I was worried about you, and I didn't really think about myself, I'm sorry," Gabriel rolled back against him and curled up. "I'm glad you back safe," he offered, pulling Bond's arm around his waist.

Wrapping around Gabriel, James absently placed a small kiss atop the other man's head. "I can look after myself, don't worry too much about me." He mumbled. "Just take care of yourself, I don't want to see another submissive hurt from my neglect."

"Somehow I can't see you neglecting someone," Gabriel said softly. "I'm sure there's more to the story. But the last thing I need to do is go dragging up more bad memories for you."

"Let's maybe work on making some new ones." Bond nodded. "I've had enough of the past for one day."

"That sounds good," Gabriel's lips ghosted over his ear. "I want you." He straddled James, nipping at his lips and throat, cock hard against the thatch of curls on his belly.

"And I want you," Bond let drunken stress roll off him, cupping Gabriel's ass with a pinch. "All to myself, even if it's only for now."

"Don't tease," Gabriel sighed, arching against Bond's hands on his ass. "You'd never get rid of me if you really wanted a sub." 

"I'm sure I could think of a few horror stories to scare you off." Bond chuckled. "I'll have you coming back for sex again and again though."

"Really? What are you going to do to scare me off?" Gabriel teased. "You haven't yet, I hate to tell you. But if you keep buying me things, we might have words. I'd much rather sex."

"I live a grim lifestyle, it can be off putting to people sometimes." Bond offered in way of explanation. "And I like buying you things, or at least I would if you'd let me. I'd never feel in any way that you'd need to repay me for the gifts, if that helps."

"You're very sweet James," Gabriel bent to unbutton Bond's shirt. "I don't like having things bought for me, I have had people make me feel like I owe them. I prefer to work for what I want, and then enjoy it." He wriggled against James, pinching at a nipple.

"I'll find more subtle ways to spoil you then." Bond grinned, moving his hands up Gabriel's back, careful to mind the sunburn. "I can be quite sneaky when I need to." Letting out a small moan, James relaxed some, the alcohol in his system doing great work to calm him. "Are there any rules about play and being roaringly drunk?" 

"No binding restraints, no hard impact?" Gabriel considered. "As much sex as you can handle? I know my limits, as long as you will stop if I say." Gabriel leaned in for another kiss, teasing at James's lips with his tongue. James's skin was salty from walking in the sun and alcohol, and Gabriel tugged at his trousers.

"I can handle quite a lot of sex." Helping Gabriel in his endeavors, James tugged his trousers off, making quick work to get Gabriel equally as naked. "And you have my word that I will always stop when asked. I'm not much into the idea of having a partner who isn't 100 percent into the fun of it." Pushing Gabriel down, mindful to make sure that he wasn't pressing on sunburn, Bond leant over the slightly smaller man, leaving a trail of small, gentle kisses over the red skin.

Gabriel sighed against the brush of James's lips. He let the tension drain out of him and went boneless, James's mouth doing sinful things to him. "Your mouth is as lethal as your hands, Mr. Bond. All of you should come with a warning label. It's funny really," he mused. "I had my own company, all the things I thought I needed to be successful, and I think this is the most content I've ever been."

"I probably do come with a warning label." Bond hummed. "I'm sure somewhere in my file there are multiple warnings about me. Nothing of concern though, of course. Just the normal warnings." He laughed.

"There were things they advised not to do, like blindfold or gag you," Gabriel was thoughtful. "Its also why I bound your hands in front of you, so you could see me the whole time. We'll have to try that with Maddalena next time, she can show you how to bind me. I don't want to scare you off of rigging because it's not comfortable for you to experience. I'm not sure what MI6 considers the normal warnings, they only told me you were nursing a broken heart and getting self destructive, and needed to be cared for."

"I know that rigging can be pleasurable for people, don't worry, I wouldn't turn away from it when you've said how much you enjoy it. I'm just not one for it myself, it brings back too many memories and instincts." He offered as way of explanation. "I don't work well when physically restricted, I suppose my work is too far ingrained into me to be able to relax. As far as 'needing to be cared for' goes though I'm fairly certain that I don't. M doesn't believe that I'm capable of moving on so quickly, that's all." 

"So, that's a no to breakfast in bed?" Gabriel smiled sweetly. "No massages? No filling the bath for you? It's a shame, I was really enjoying being able to do those things for you. Your M, she didn't sound very sentimental when I talked to her on Skype. Is it possible that you're pushing yourself too fast? At least enjoy it while you're here, before you have to go back to saving everyone. How would you expect your own sub to behave towards you?"

"It's a no to being coddled just because I've gone through a rough patch, that's all. I won't say no to breakfast in bed or bath time, I'll just say no to sad sorry looks and gentle pats on the back because I got stabbed in the back." James explained. "She's not overly sentimental, I suppose, I'm surprised you two talked over Skype, then again she does like to drive home the point that people are to ruin my fun and stop me from getting back to work My own sub played me like a fiddle, mostly I'd like my submissive not to behave like that." 

"M said that she would know if I had anything to hide after she talked to me, she seemed very protective of you," Gabriel said. "I'm not giving you sad looks, or trying to play you. This is the most I've been myself in quite some time. Most people expect that because I look like a twink, I'm just a brainless pretty face."

 

"We're quite close, she's very important to me." James nodded. "You know, if years of work has taught me one thing it's that people are very rarely what they seem to be on face value. If anybody bothered to hold a proper conversation with you," James ducked his head down, biting playfully at Gabriel's nipple. "They would know that you're mind and your wit are both equally as sharp."

"Most people don't want to hear a sub speak," Gabriel sighed. "Oh, you can keep doing that, I like to be bit." he pulled James's hair to urge him to continue. "So what would you want your sub to be, besides loyal? I hope you won't remember this tomorrow, so I'll take a chance and ask."

Giving another playful bite, a tad harder than his first, Bond chuckled. If he did remember it tomorrow he wouldn't be admitting to it. His pride wouldn't allow it. "I'd want a submissive with a mind of their own who knew that occasionally, well, frequently I wouldn't be there for them but when I was I'd treat them like they were my deity. I'm not much for all that 'seen and not heard' junk, not unless it's for play." Biting again, moving to Gabriel's other nipple, he sighed. "And somebody who doesn't mind me occasionally removing shrapnel from my body in the bathroom would be nice." 

"Oh, you do need taking care of!" Gabriel sighed. "Just keep doing that thing with you mouth please, yes, there. I can even do stitches if necessary, although it isn't my favorite. You shouldn't come home to an empty flat if you're always coming home like that. Maybe your M had a point."

"She's not my M, she's just M." Bond chuckled. "And I don't always come home battered and bruised, it's more an occupational hazard than anything really, part of the job. Just like sex is when I think about it. Sex and violence, that's pretty much most of my days. Though I'd like to focus a little more on the sex," Bond ground his hips downward, biting again on Gabriel's nipple. "And a little less on being injured right now."

Gabriel yelped at the bite, the sharp teeth a contrast to the lapping tongue. "Violence, I'm not much for. Your work sounds exciting. But I do have to keep you occupied so you don't get bored."

"I don't think I'll get bored with you around. That mind of yours always seems to be up to no good." Bond was fond of the idea of spending hours tangled in sheets with Gabriel, something about the other man putting him at ease, especially in his drunken haze. "A different me and perhaps something could work between the two of us."

"A different you, and we would have never met," Gabriel reminded, angling for another kiss. "And you'd be bored with me talking tech and books, you'd probably gag me."

"A less jaded me then." Bond corrected. A man less worried about people using him like she had, then perhaps there could have been something. "I like listening to people talk about their passions. It's a nice distraction from the world and it's not often you get to see people so honest about themselves." Happily providing a deep kiss, Bond let his hands begin to wander, poking and prodding at Gabriel, pinching at sensitive flesh with a lazy grin.

"Well I can ramble for hours, great way to stop me," Gabriel murmured into the kiss. "Lube?"

Reaching around Gabriel, James grabbed the tube off the bedside dresser, waggling it in Gabriel's view. "Always in arm's reach here, it would seem." 

"Good, I want you," Gabriel's smile was predatory, and he growled playfully. "I want some drunk, rough sex that leaves me aching."

"I can deliver on all fronts." Bond grinned in return, making quick work of lubing up his fingers. "Do you think two would be enough for you this time?" 

"Fine, we've had enough sex I'm not so tight," Gabriel touched Bond's cock with a sultry smile.

"Good, I'm even worse at dragging it out when I'm drunk." Bond chuckled, making quick work of inserting one and then two of his fingers, careful to open Gabriel up just enough, letting out a pleased hum. "You're more than welcome to keep doing that with your hands."

"Just because we hurry now doesn't mean you get out of the list later," Gabriel teased. "But do you mean this? Whatever you like, just go faster!"

"Faster? God, you're a hard one to please, Gabriel." Bond chuckled, repositioning himself, pouring more lube into his hand to slick up his cock. "So much for slow and steady and all that." Pushing in, Bond let out a small growl, moving to wrap one hand up under Gabriel's waist, lifting him up slightly for a better angle. "you'll feel me for the rest of the day after this." It was the only warning he gave, setting a fast, brutal pace, doing his best to deliver just what the submissive wanted.

"That's it, just like that," Gabriel moaned. "Please, don't stop." He was shivering, scratching at James's back to pull him closer. "Oh my god, fuck me harder, please." 

Gabriel's desperate, needy moans did wonders to spur James, on, changing angles again, allowing him in deeper, his pace picking up again, James happy to prove just how good he was at sex. He ignored the fact that for brief, pleasurable moments it was as if he was fucking Vesper again, keeping his attention on the expressions on Gabriel's face instead, losing himself in the sensation. 

"I hope you're close," Gabriel warned, after a particularly effective jab at his prostate. He pulled at James's hair and lick a drop of sweat that was rolling off his cheek."

James grunted in reply, a low, breathless moan escaping him. "Closer than I'd like to admit."

"There's always round two," Gabriel gasped. "I want to come in your hand," he admitted.

"There will be more that just a second round, Gabriel. I'll have you here all day, orgasm after orgasm, round after round." Bond promised, his voice low and rough, snaking a hand around Gabriel's cock.Gabriel keened against his chest, a warm pulse of pleasure going through him at the wrecked sound of James's voice. James's fingers were as deft as his mouth, and Gabriel didn't feel the orgasm until his nose was numb, and toes curled.

James came shortly after, pulling Gabriel close, digging fingers into hips, grinning dumbly. "God, you're ass is glorious, Sweet."

Gabriel buried his face in his shoulder, still panting. "I think you broke me, good god. You weren't kidding about being good at that. I don't know what they want me to show you, that's the best orgasm I've had in years."

"I'm lacking in the aftercare aspect." Bond admitted in a moment of drunken looseness,explaining the situation. "I normally fuck and then get the information I need from a target and leave. I have no trouble with sex at all."

"Ah, so since you can't run away, good time for you to practice that," Gabriel curled against him and ran a hand down his chest. "Nothing to get out of me, no obligations. So perfect time to talk about my list."

"That still sounds like I'm getting information from you," James smirked, repositioning the both of them, wiping his hand clean on the sheets. "All right, your list."

"But the good kind of information," Gabriel looked at him through feathered eyelashes. "You know I adore oral, rigging, floggers. Knives are good as long as it stops before the adrenaline goes away. I don't particularly care for anything that involves electricity. I like hands on me. My hard nos? Children, animals, diapers... I'm not a fan of straight jackets, I prefer ropes and restraints. If you plan on using verbal humiliation, let me know ahead of time, or I'm likely to bring out the martial arts. Public play is fine, but I don't like to be passed around. If you do bring in someone else, we all need to use protection."

"I'm sure I can keep conversation through sex polite then." Bond joked, filing the information away, mindful to take in each different interest of Gabriel's and more importantly his disinterests. "I'm very much a fan of complimenting my submissive's anyway, I found praise far more rewarding for both parties than harsh words. I'll keep the knife thing under control too if we ever get to that, I know it's not for everybody." James wouldn't have a hard time at all keeping to what Gabriel liked, they were all simple enough interests and requests. 

"To be honest though, I'm not really much of a sharer. I'm afraid that I can get dangerously possessive. I'll in no way restrict your movements of course, but I'm not overly good at stopping myself from choice words if I think somebody is getting too close." It was alcohol loosening his lips again, Bond realised a moment too late. "Not that I have any claim you that is, I'm only here for the duration of the session."

"I prefer not to be shared, I'd rather be able to focus on one person at a time, but not every Dom agrees to that. You won't have any competition for me here, no one would touch a sub without permission. It will be a long time before I accept playing with someone that doesn't know house rules, and certainly never again with someone who chooses to ignore them," Gabriel looked wistful. "You should be prepared for the end of the session though, it can be fairly emotional."

"Not being shared works very well with needlessly possessive." Bond joked, happy to find at least that Gabriel wasn't partial to the idea of sharing. It had always seen Bond look like an overbearing crazed partner than anything sexy. He paused, thinking to the end of the session. Already he didn't want to come up to that point. The break from MI6 if nothing else was certainly nice and Gabriel's company was more than liked. "I'm sure I can manage letting go, I have to do it quite often." He offered as a means of explanation. "Although, it won't really be goodbye, since we've already both said that we'd like to continue casualplay outside of the session." 

"Not only for those reasons, but I suppose you'll see," he leaned in to press a kiss on Bond's lips. "The tattoo, the offering of a collar, it's a lot to deal with. And no matter if we see each other, it's different than spending all our time together."

Bond couldn't help but wonder if perhaps he was letting himself get too close to Gabriel. For James, seeing Gabriel outside the pleasure house was the same as spending all of their time together. With his work, it wasn't likely that James would be able to spend a great deal of time with any given submissive exclusively and if Vesper had taught him one thing it was that he could never really leave his work behind so settling down was out of the question. "I don't think I'm cut out for that sort of commitment. My work would get in the way too much." 

"It's good that you have something you enjoy doing so much," Gabriel nodded. "I can't live for my work, but as long as you found something you enjoy..." he yawned sleepily. "I don't like coming home to just my cats all the times, it gets lonely. You'd be nice to come home..." he trailed off into a snore.

Bond resisted the urge to say that it was less a love for the job and more an inability to do anything else that kept him so firmly attached to his work, knowing that it was only half of the truth and any sort of explanation would go on too long. "You'd be lonely if you were with me. I work overseas a lot." He instead mumbled, moving to reposition them, wrapping around Gabriel protectively. "And I'd be awful for somebody as sweet as you."


	7. Chapter 7

Gabriel opened his eyes to a darkened room. He sat up, unsure how long he'd slept.

"What?" He asked self consciously. James was staring at him, his eyes the color of stars.

"Nothing, I'm just admiring the view." Bond replied quietly, smiling lightly at Gabriel, reaching out to push hair from the other man's face. "Did you enjoy your nap, sweet?" 

"Yes, I'm sorry I fell asleep," Gabriel scooted closer. "You were telling me something about work? I don't think I heard most of what you said. Tell me again?"

"I'm not mad that you did." Rather, Bond had found it relaxing to watch over Gabriel. "It wasn't anything important. I was just telling you that I work quite a bit overseas so you wouldn't see me all that often even if we were exclusive. Not really a relationship you want." 

"Quit getting my hopes up saying things like that," Gabriel scolded. "I'm trying my best not to think of that, and you mention it. Do you want to go sit in the hot tub? And you need water and food. All that alcohol and walking in the sun.

"I suppose I'm still trying to shake the idea of a normal life like that, sorry." Bond pushed himself up with a nod, trying to clear his mind. "The hot tub sounds lovely, but only if you're going to join me too."

"Of course," Gabriel got two bottles of water out of the fridge. "It sounds like you're trying to talk yourself out of wanting something good, if you don't mind me saying. You sound lonely. All that travelling must be nice, but only when you have someone waiting at home. But I suppose you're used to it." He tucked a towel around his waist and turned to James. "Would you like me to get out your swim trunks, or do you just want to undress? You shouldn't ruin your nice clothes, though."

"I've always been alone. I don't think I get lonely any more." Perhaps there were times when Bond wanted companionship and he knew that some of the people he had slept with on missions were solely there to fill some sort of gap in his life but that wasn't the type of conversation that he felt like having. "I don't think getting into the tub in my clothing would do it any good, no." He chuckled. "If it's all the same, I'll just go naked."

"My preferred way," Gabriel agreed. "There's champagne in the fridge, shall I bring it? And Lisa left me some of the fruit salad, oooh, there's melon. I'm bringing that." He piled a tray and pulled James along with him to the hot tub on the balcony. He set down the tray and dropped his towel, stepping into the warm water with a happy groan. "There's sea salt in here, rather than chemicals, it's good for sore muscles. Wait until you try." He settled happily into the water, licking the juice off his fingers from the melon he was holding. 

"I don't think I should have anything more to drink, you're welcome to it though." Bond couldn't see consuming any more alcohol ending well for him. Smiling at Gabriel's enthusiasm for melon, Bond made a note to try and remember at least that through the alcohol, wanting to be able to spoil the submissive in a way that didn't suggest he had spent large amounts of money on him. Climbing in beside Gabriel, James let out a small, pleased moan. "It's lovely, I might just fall asleep in here."

"Oh, was I the only one that fell asleep? I'm sorry," Gabriel looked crestfallen. He took a sip of the champagne and straddled James's lap. He bent down to kiss him, his mouth cold. "You wanted to come in here with me naked, only to fall asleep?"

"I didn't want to fall asleep with all that alcohol in my body, I don't think either of us would enjoy me having a nightmare and I'm almost certain that after the mess I caused I would have." James gave as way of an explanation. "Don't feel bad for falling asleep." Placing hands on Gabriel's hips, James chuckled into the kiss. "No, but I might still fall asleep all the same." 

"Really? Are you so bored you'll fall asleep?" Gabriel teased. "What would keep you awake, Sir?" He settled into his lap. "I know about nightmares, evil things. I'll keep watch if you want to sleep."

"Bored with you in my lap? never." Bond replied, a lazy smile on his face. Relaxed for the first time in a long time was closer to the truth. "I don't think it'd be a good idea for me to take a nap in the hottub."

"No, probably not," he handed James a bottle of water. "Do you want to go in for dinner, or shall I order to the cottage? You need sleep. And I'll read. I'm not going to fall asleep early after that nap."

"Is there any benefit to either option? I don't want to look anti social, M will hear about it and have my head." Bond took the water bottle. taking a grateful sip. "Whatever would look best on my report I suppose."

"No one is going to tell your boss that kind of detail," Gabriel frowned. "I'm not a tattle tale."

"I assumed she'd want a full report. I'm sure you're not the only one she'll be asking questions after the session. There's bound to be at least one person reporting directly to M." Bond was aware that he sounded paranoid, but he couldn't shake the assumption that he was always being watched. "She was quite forward in suggesting that I take this whole thing seriously." 

"It doesn't work like that, James. I known Maddalena since I was 18. Her loyalties are to the house," Gabriel shook his head. "There are no plants here. This is the advanced session. I know all the students."

"Call it years of being observed, I meant no offence." Bond hummed. "I suppose it just always expect the worst of people."

"I understand, I just wish you didn't think the worst of me," Gabriel said softly. "I'm not a plant James. I'm about as far from someone who is going to use you as can be. And I certainly have never betrayed someone. Unless you do something incredibly mean between now and when we leave, you'll get no complaints from me."

"That's how I saw Vesper, and she turned out to be-" Bond stopped himself, moving his gaze down to the water before smiling, pulling on that double-oh seven mask he was so good at using. "Look at me dampening the mood. I've got a lovely man in my lap, I shouldn't be thinking on the past."

Gabriel frowned. "Tell me about her. You need to talk about it, it keeps coming out when you least want it to. You may be fooling everyone else, but certainly your M sees right through you, and I can too. Are you even fooling yourself?"

"I was going to leave my life behind for her and it turned out that she was playing me the whole time for her own work." James offered as a reply, voice quiet. "I loved her, more than I had ever loved anybody else and she'd been there the whole time to play me like a fool."

"I'm sorry, you didn't deserve that," Gabriel winced. "It sounds like we both should have run into each other years ago. You're a good man, James. You deserve a lover who is loyal."

"I don't think I'd go so far as to suggest that." Bond hummed. "I'm- my work demands too much of me, I deserve exactly what I have now. A string of one night stands who help pay my bills."

"If you really want to get the most out of this, be yourself," Gabriel advised. "The most healing you'll do is when you stop hiding behind your charm and be yourself. If you want to be successful at being charming, well fake charm is very obvious. You have to be comfortable with yourself if you want to really get to know someone. And I don't believe you for a minute."

"I'm comfortable with myself." James protested. "It's everybody else that I'm not comfortable with. Well, no, not everybody, I'm comfortable around you but that's because I know or at least I hope I know that you're not here to dig government secrets out of me."

"Seduction isn't something I can teach you James, or charm. You can seduce just fine. One thing you don't do well is care. You're so closed off. It's making you reckless, and you've got no self preservation left."

"Self preservation isn't an important aspect of my work, and my work is all I have." Bond shrugged. "And I need to be closed off. If I go around falling in love with every pretty thing that smiles at me I'll end up dead in a ditch somewhere. Vesper proved that much to me. When I open myself up I'm only inviting people in to use me. I should have been more careful with her, so now I'm being more careful with everybody." Even if James could feel the same hopeless attachment building back up with Gabriel. "I'm better off alone, people in my line of work are better suited to fake personalities and charms."

"Are you happy? It sounds like you're only holding on to what you know. You can't do that job forever. Why not build a life for after? Trust me on this, the perfect job can be over. You need something else in your life. I'm not saying me. But at least a friend. Something good."

"I don't expect to walk away from my job." Bond admitted. "I can't imagine a time after my work, I don't even think I'll make it to retiring age, not too many people in my field do." It was a little grim to admit, but James didn't really see the point in keeping the fact hidden. It put a large dampen on anybody who considered the idea of a relationship with any double-oh. "Not everybody gets that chance to settle down after long years of work."

"You're okay with that?" Gabriel asked sadly. He gazed down at James, knowing his emotions were as obvious as if he'd screamed them. "I'm going to fix that," he said decisively. "You stay here and relax, I'm going to order dinner and do some things. I'll call you when it's ready."

"I have to be, it's all in the Queen's name." Bond forced out a chuckle, doing his best to lighten the mood, Gabriel himself obviously upset by the topic. "Do some things? What are you up to now, Sweet?" 

"Well I can't tell you all my secrets, I have to shave sometime," Gabriel put on his best mischievous smile. 

"Careful, it's my business to find out secrets." Bond chuckled, relaxing back into the hot tub, closing his eyes over. "Just don't go selling my secrets." 

Gabriel made it back into the cottage and booted his laptop, opening Skype.  
"Hello, this is Gabriel Shaw. I need to talk to Olivia Mansfield."

"I'll patch you through." The man on the other end of the Skype call nodded, redirecting the call for Mr. Shaw. 

"Mrs. Mansfield? M? Hi," Gabriel pulled on a sweatshirt. "I need to talk to you about your agent. Do you know he's given up? He has no shortage of charm, and no lack of seductive skills. Now why did you really send him here?"

"You're smarter than I gave you credit for, Mr. Shaw," M sighed. "Bond has no one. He lost his parents when he was eleven, his best friend turned double agent, and his lover died while double crossing him. He doesn't believe in anything, and he's become reckless. I don't need him to go out and become a killer, I need him to care."

"And you think I can do that? I'm a computer programmer," Gabriel slammed down the towel he was drying his hair with. 

"No, Mr. Shaw," M shook her head. "You were chosen as the new Courtesan. You're so much more than that. I need James Bond to have something to live for, and I think that's you. He needs a challenge, something he doesn't know how to do. When he sets his mind to learning something, he never gives up. Good night, Mr. Shaw."

"Goodnight, Ma'am," Gabriel shut off the computer and called down to the house for a supper tray. He shaved his face and took care of preparing for later, and went to call James in

James had been content with the idea of soaking in the hot tub for a while longer, lazily cracking an eye open when he heard Gabriel's voice, smiling as he tilted his head back to watch the other man. "You look so damn innocent with a clean shaven face, you know that?" 

"I talked to your boss," Gabriel decided it was best to tell him the truth. "She didn't send you here to learn charm, James. She sent you here to learn to care again, to give you something to live for. She think I'd be good for you. So, what do you want to do now?"

James' smile dropped, turning back away from Gabriel to stare out past the hot tub. "You didn't have to go and consult M, Gabriel, I'm not a piece of weaponry that comes with an instruction manual; and here I thought things were going relatively well between the two of us." It stung more than it should have. Rationally, Bond knew that Gabriel was only trying to help, but part of him felt like he was nothing more than an assignment for Gabriel now. "I've got something to live for, it's my work."

"I called M because none of the pieces fit, because the file didn't make sense, James. What if I can give you something more than that, something more than work to live for? You know she cares about you, she told me you've lost anyone who has ever meant anything to you. Let me change that. Screw the file, screw being the Courtesan. What makes you tick?"

"I don't need anything else to live for." Bond shook his head, stubbornly still looking away from Gabriel. "My work never betrays me, it never lies to me and most importantly it doesn't ever die on me. I can depend on my work, it will always be there, unlike people."

"So you think I'm going to betray you and die? Is that all you really think I'm capable of, James?" Gabriel found himself shouting. "I haven't lied to you once. All I've tried to do is get inside that thick head of yours. I'm so... tired. Tired of being underestimated."

"It's what everybody else has done to me so why wouldn't you?!" Bond shouted back, standing up to face Gabriel. "Every person I care about dies. Any person I consider my friend betrays me! I lost Alec, Vesper, my parents! Everybody Gabriel! So I'm sorry that I'm a little hesitant to get to know you. I'm sorry that M felt the need to send me to you for a feel better hug!" He was shaking, and though he didn't want to think about it, there were tears in his eyes threatening to spill. "Maybe it's the fact that you're capable of loving me without betraying me that scares me more than the idea that you would betray me. I'm not underestimating you, I'm making sure you don't just end up as another tally mark on the James Bond body count." 

"You're so goddamn stubborn! The last time I loved someone I had my heart broken and was abused. So let me be a little bit selfish and decide for myself! I've already been a notch on someone's bedpost, what more do you think is left?"

"There's a lot more of you left then somebody who feels the need to pine over a man who is actively encouraged to kill people while he works!" 

"I'm not pining after you, you idiot! My god, are you really so dense?" Gabriel's cheeks were blazing warm and his voice was shaking.

"I obviously am!" Climbing out of the hot tub, Bond stalked over to Gabriel, wrapping one hand gently around the back of his head before pulling him into a bruising kiss, anger and some foreign feeling of need clouding his thoughts, holding the other man closer to him. 

"Think, you idiot," Gabriel stepped back and caught his breath.

"Thinking is what landed me in trouble, I'd rather not think and just act instead." Because if Bond started to think now, he might run away from something good. 

"Not this time you don't!" Gabriel shook his head. "I'm looking for a Dom, James. A place to call home. Why do you think that's just when you showed up?"

"I already told you I wouldn't be any good for that. You'd spend more time alone then with me. I can't treat a submissive that poorly."

"I'm not asking you. I'm telling you," Gabriel said decisively. "By the end of this three months, I'm going to change your mind."

"By the end of this three months you won't want me." Bond replied. "You're in love with an illusion, Gabriel."

"I'm not in love with you," Gabriel said sadly. "I gave up on love a long time ago. But I knelt for you, and I'll do it again. I don't believe in happily ever after. But I do think we could do better than survive."

"We'll see I suppose. Just remember that I'm not the man I let people see. My work is a bigger part of me than anything else and my work isn't something that anybody wants anything to do with." 

"You're an assassin, and M is afraid you're going to turn into a killer because you have nothing left. What else don't I understand?"

"Turn into a killer? I already am a killer, Gabriel. That's rather the point of being an assassin. What you don't seem to understand is that I actively kill people. Unless you're one of the rare few who are comfortable with that, but I thought MI6 had all of those under watch." 

"They tried..." Gabriel said softly. "My Dom turned down the offer. They wanted me to work in the tech department when the last Quartermaster retired."

"Quartermaster?" Bond let out a defeated growl. "So that's why she picked you. Everybody i know is a spy of some sort."

"I'm not a spy. I didn't get the job," Gabriel sighed. "Is that why M chose to send you to this house then? Because she knew who I was?"

"I'd put my money on it. She would have already run a background check on you. It makes you a good candidate for me I suppose. Aside from you being somewhat my type." James felt guilty for trusting Gabriel a little more now knowing that M had already looked into Q before hand, but it helped settle his nerves about Gabriel in relation to James' work somewhat. 

"So, I suppose it doesn't matter that you could give me a recommendation for a job. I already turned one down, and she won't offer me another. She said it was a one time thing, and it wouldn't be repeated. Told me that if I was going to choose my partner over that kind of opportunity, I'd chosen the wrong person to give it up for."

"I wonder what she thinks about me giving it all up for Vesper then." Bond mused. "I threw everything to the side for her and she was the wrong person."

"Well you still have your job, so I suppose it wasn't so bad. The fact that you came back, I think that's why she wants you to heal, she cares. She seemed very sure that she did the right thing sending you here," Gabriel sighed and sat down on the couch. "We'll figure it out. Let's take it one step at a time, we both need some better reason than work and a broken heart to wake up in the morning."

"That's a depressing thought." Bond slumped down beside Gabriel, staring up at the roof. "I want to try with you, Gabriel, it's just hard to shake the idea that you'll either end up dead in my arms or that you're working against me. M's offer to you helps squash the latter a little though." 

"I can't promise I'll say, or do, it right," Gabriel sighed and leaned into James. "But I can promise not to betray you, and I don't lie, or cheat. And I'd rather not end up dead."

"That's all I can really ask for." James nodded. "I'll do my best to keep you alive, don't you worry about that."

"I do understand why she thinks you need someone, you need an anchor. Someone to care for will keep you invested in coming back safe. I can't say I mind the job," Gabriel smiled.

"I just don't want you to get hurt because of me. Either physically or emotionally. I tend to only bring bad things to the table." Bond moved to wrap an arm around Gabriel, pulling him in close. "You're too good for me."

"Shut it," Gabriel said fondly. "If you don't keep putting yourself down, I'm going to gag you. No one's going to bad mouth a Dom of mine that way. I do wonder though... have you ever been on the sub end? It might do wonders for clearing your head."

"Gag me?" Bond smiled lightly. "Isn't that more your thing?" Inwardly kicking himself, he did his best to lighten the mood some. "I don't think I'd know how to submit. I'm hard wired not to, Sweet."

"If you don't start being nicer to yourself, it's going to become very much a reality," Gabriel warned playfully. "You wouldn't want to gag me, I can do too many nice things with my mouth. And I know you're hardwired not to submit, I'm just trying to think of how to show you from my side... hmmm."

"Lucky for you, otherwise I would gag you." Bond joked playfully. "Don't feel as if you have to show me, Gabriel, really. This old dog isn't so good at learning new tricks."

"But it's to my benefit if you do," Gabriel pulled food from the oven. "If I can show you what it means to me, maybe you'd understand why it's important to me to see you do well, and to make sure your needs are met."

"It all sounds so clinical when you put it like that. What happened to the good old days when it was just sex for the fun of it?" Though James knew that this was so much more than sex. "That smells delicious."

"I bribed them to bring dinner," Gabriel flashed an easy smile. "You need food, and I don't feel like dealing with people. It is sex for fun James, it's just more than that. Sex only for fun gets old after awhile."

"Must be nice being able to bribe them for food." Bond teased. "I know it's more than just sex, I just don't remember the last time I had the chance to actually sit down and talk it over with somebody. Normally I just go in blindly."

"And I'm sure you do just fine with a one night stand. But a submissive doesn't become yours in one session, James, and you aren't made a Dominant in one either. That's what she wants, isn't it? She wants you to collar me and bring me back to MI6?"

James nodded, letting out a dry laugh. "I suppose she wants to kill two birds with one stone. If I collar you it means I'm stable again and for for work, and it means that she might be able to pull you back into Q-branch"

"I don't like that," Gabriel frowned. "It makes me feel like this was all some plot to make MI6 better. I suppose it is, I just don't like being a pawn, and that seems like all I ever am. Should we go along with it though, and use it for our own good? Or should we do something they don't expect and say screw it? No, never mind, your work is too important to you for that."

"I could always just tell them that I didn't collar you." Bond paused, backtracking slightly. "As of yet I haven't I suppose. I'd never let MI6 take somebody from me like that, they have enough of a hand in my life. You're right though, I can't walk away from my work. It always comes back for me, and I always come back to it."

"And what... we meet in secret? You're a spy, James. They're going to put tails on me if you don't bring me back," Gabriel frowned. "But what if we play them at their own game?"

"I'm very good at keeping off the radar." Bond offered. "Play them at their own game? How so?"

"They want us, and they'll think they've won," Gabriel shrugged. "It gets me a job, and it gets you back on active duty. Then we can make the best of it. We each have eyes on a side of the operation we normally wouldn't see. I can bring you home safe. You don't want to control me, and I don't want to double cross you. We mesh well. Call it a collaring of convenience?"

"That sounds a little sad for you. A collaring of convenience. I thought you wanted something nice."

"I do," Gabriel looked thoughtful. "But you're a good Dom, and I'm convinced I can make it worth your while. I think I can prove to you that I'm worth taking on as a real sub."

"And if it doesn't work between us? Then you've thrown your life away for nothing." Bond paused, looking away. "I want it to work, I'm just worried that it won't."

"There's nothing for me to lose, James," Gabriel put the plates of carved chicken and grilled asparagus on the table. "I have a small amount in the bank from selling the company as fast as I can, and my cat is staying with my aunt. I took a huge hit breaking my apartment lease, and my things are in storage. Mostly books... nothing valuable. I started the company on speculation, and most of the profit went to paying that back"

"So long as you know that if this doesn't work out it'll be hard for you to get out. I won't hold you prisoner, but MI6 might." Standing up, James moved to sit at the table with Gabriel, extending an uncertain hand to grasp the others. "And I can't make any promises about not panicking and running away once or twice."

"I told you how my last relationship ended? I doubt this would be much worse," Gabriel rubbed his throat. "I don't like being cheated on, I don't like being choked, and I don't like when someone I care about uses me. So as long as you can do better than that... MI6 sounds pretty good. It's a job, and you get me to come home to."

"Cheating... that may be an issue." Bond pulled his plate towards him, pointedly staring down at it. "I normally end up sleeping with people for information and the like on missions."

"I don't care what you do at work, as long as you use a condom, and tell me about it. I know what a quartermaster does, James. I'd see and hear it anyway. At least that way I can keep you safe."

Nodding, James gave Gabriel a small smile. "I really hope that this isn't school decision we'll regret. I like you a lot, I'd hate to ruin what we have now because of this."

"The only things I regret are the ones I didn't do," Gabriel went to the fridge and pulled the bottle of opened champagne. "You only live once, James. Fuck it." He straddled James lap and bit at his ear lobe.

Grinning, James wrapped his arms around Gabriel. "By 'fuck it' do you mean 'fuck you'? Because I can very much get behind that."

"Well, in a minute, let me finish dinner first," Gabriel giggled. "I do have to eat occasionally. You should as well, I'm going to keep you up late, and you need your energy. Are we really going to do this?" He looked at James and gulped another mouthful of champagne, coughing.

"I don't know, I think you could satisfy my appetite." Bond gave Gabriel a small rub on the back, laughing some. "I hope that you're choking on the champagne and not getting sick there, Sweet."

"Bubbles," Gabriel laughed, and put down the bottle. "I'd be enough for you? I think it's more that you'll have to worry about keeping up with me." He fed James a piece of asparagus and smiled.

"I'm sure I can keep up, Sweet. I'm not the one that needed a nap before, remember?" Deliberately biting at Gabriel's fingers, Bond gave a playful wink. "I might leave you so tired that you'll become the next sleeping beauty. Again all the sex you'd miss out on with that nap."

"Fuck you," Gabriel laughed, the first time he'd relaxed fully since they'd met. "So what's on tomorrow's agenda? How late can I keep you up? It's beautiful here at night, the stars are incredible. We can lay out on the balcony, it's just warm enough."

"I gladly would." Bond smiled at Gabriel's laughter, the sound relaxing him tenfold. "I have no idea what tomorrow holds, I can't say I've made all that many plans so you're welcome to keep me up well past bedtime." In all honesty Bond was still trying to work out just what he was supposed to do at the pleasure house. He had expected a lot more tests and gradings then what there was, none of this pedestal compliment stuff. "The balcony sounds wonderful." 

"Well now that we've figured out you're here to bring me back, it gets easier," Gabriel smiled. "I can show you what I know, and you can be spoiled."


	8. Chapter 8

"Only if you let me spoil you back. I know you don't like being bought things, but I'm still going to dote on you like I'm trying to win you over with every gift." Bond paused for a moment, thinking it over. "What if I bought you practical things. Something electronic you could use?" 

"Well, I built my own computer. I can modify something for you if you want it, I like to tinker. The research department at MI6 sounds the most interesting to me," Gabriel was thoughtful. "I hope I get to spend some time there. I have some ideas for weapons and systems upgrades."

"I don't think I have anything in need of an upgrade. I'm happy with my gun and the only other thing I brought with me was my car, which certainly doesn't need an upgrade." Bond shrugged. "I'm not overly tech savvy myself to be honest, I use what equipment I'm given for work and use it the best I can to get the job done. I'm not in need of anything fancy." He admitted. "You seem eager for the job though, which is good. It's a pity you couldn't have had the job in the first place."

"Things happen when they're supposed to," Gabriel smiled. "Although if you do need to kick someone's arse, may I volunteer my ex? I'm surprised he hasn't ended up on MI6's bad list yet. There's something... unsettling going on with him, I think he's involved in something illegal. I'm just glad I'm away from him. OH! If you want to spoil me, I've always wanted to learn to drive, never had a reason in London with the tube and all."

"What's his name? I could always put up a red flag, see if the gents at Q-Branch can dig anything up that might mark him as a person of interest." Bond offered with a sly grin. He didn't mind the idea of screwing with Gabriel's ex at all. The guy sounded like a real dick, one that James wouldn't mind running into in a dark alleyway. "Drive hm? Well, I think I'm more than qualified for that, we could rent a car out and I could teach you the basics if you'd like."

"His name is Raoul Silva, something of a legend in the tech world. I did learn a bit from him, and he bought out the company when we broke up," Gabriel shivered. "I don't know why I EVER thought he was a good idea. Anyway, car... countryside, it's beautiful around here. We can go for long drives."

Raoul Silva. Bond filtered the name away to look up at a later time, the thought of it obviously upsetting Gabriel. "Driving is one of the best ways to unwind, provided you're not being chased." James nodded. "And the countryside is a great place to learn, less traffic, it means you can learn the basics with less stress." 

"Sounds fun," Gabriel sighed happily. "I can think of all kinds of ways to actually make those gadgets you see in the spy movies, I have a lot invested in bringing you home safely. Are you allergic to cats?"

"I'm sure you'll be able to make all sorts of gadgets with your mind, so long as they're not overly complicated to use. Out on the field I need something quick, not something flashy." James nodded, grinning at the excitement of the smaller man. ""Allergic to cats? No, not that I'm aware of. Oh that's right, you mentioned something about having cats. So long as they don't get fur all over my suits, I can't conduct espionage with cat fur on my tie." 

"Close your closet door then, they tend to turn up where they're least wanted," Gabriel smiled. "Is your place... big? Should I look for my own place? What will M expect?"

"It'll be big enough for two people and a couple of cats." Bond nodded. "She'll expect you to stay with me no doubt, M knows me too well, she wouldn't at all believe us if you stayed somewhere different to me. I'm overprotective to a fault sometimes." 

"Okay... that sounds doable. Should I find a collar to wear back, have my stuff delivered to your place? I'd rather get all the details over with, and then not have to think about London for the next couple of months," Gabriel returned to his own chair and finished the food on his plate. He started typing on his phone, making a list. "Oh, you'll probably want to tell her you're bringing me back, so she can mention the job thing, like it was all her idea."

"I can get you a collar if you'd like," Bond offered, somewhat hesitant. "Unless you'd rather me not get involved with that side of it all." He didn't want to push the idea too far, didn't want to get overly connected when this was supposed to be a collaring of convenience as Gabriel had put it. "I'll send her a message sometime tomorrow, if I do it now she might suspect something." 

"Is it alright if I let you pick it? I'm sure she'll expect me to wear it at work, and I don't have any idea what your taste would be," Gabriel blushed. "I don't need anything more than leather for everyday, but they'll expect a dress collar for introductions, and jewelry just isn't my forte. M will be expecting you to bring me back and introduce me, rather like a trophy I think. I suppose I'd better see if I have a suit here I can wear back. Ick, I hate dress clothes."

Nodding, Bond gave Gabriel a reassuring smile. "Let me handle all of it. And don't worry, just because it's expected from others don't think it's expected from me. I'll find you something comfortable, and I can get you a suit too if you need one. Though I think I'd rather you just dress how you like to, I might be able to get away with that, I always do like to test the limits of what I can and can't get away with." 

"She'll expect me to wear a suit for an interview at least," Gabriel smiled. "I doubt she wants to see me in cardigans and khakis like I wore when I owned the office. There are some benefits to being your own boss, make your own hours and wear t shirts. But I'll play nice."

"I'm sure you could get away with cardigans eventually. If you produce state of the art gadgets like I'm sure you can she won't care at all what you're wearing." Bond nodded. "I'll have a look around and see which tailors are the best in the area, I'll try and find something comfortable but expensive looking for you." He smiled. "And you can leave it in the back of the wardrobe for the most part, really, it doesn't bother me what you wear." 

"Alright, I suppose I can live with that part of spoiling," Gabriel agreed. He rinsed the dishes and piled them in the dishwasher. He reached for the towel to dry his hands and caught James around the neck with it. "This all... it sounds nice. I hope it's real," he said shyly. "I'm suspicious of people being good."

"I'm plenty bad when I want to be." Bond promised with a wink. "I'll never hurt you, Gabriel, and I'll do my damn best to make sure that nobody else hurts you on top of that. And if it doesn't work out between us, I've got no issue with us going our separate ways. I'm not the type to hold a submissive captive just because they look good on my arm." 

"I'd be hard pressed to mind being your captive, although do refrain from using me as arm candy unless we're at work, or at a club," Gabriel pulled James out on the balcony. "I'm going to make tea and get blankets, do you want anything?" He pulled the lounge chairs together.

"I don't use anybody for arm candy outside of work, don't worry about that." Bond assured. "I'm much more likely to flaunt myself around then to involve you in anything of the sort." The idea of other people staring at Gabriel and thinking anything over a PG rating was enough to get James a little more irritated than what might be considered normal. "If I asked for a glass of whiskey would you decline?" He asked through a smooth drawl, turning on the charm in hopes of getting one last drink for the night. "Just one, of course."

"I suppose if I get one as well," Gabriel batted his lashes. "You get the whisky and I'll get the blankets. Don't forget ice!" He called as he ran back inside for blankets and pillows. "Oh hell, bring the bottle. Might as well celebrate if we don't have to wake early."

Grinning, happy to be able to drink more, especially in celebration of sorts -or at least not to drown out the memories of mistakes past- James moved to collect the bottle of whiskey and two glasses, filling them both with ice before returning to the balcony. "We can have a proper camp out out here, sounds like good fun to me."

Gabriel piled pillows and blankets on the lounges, and leaned on the railing of the balcony. "It's a beautiful night, thank you," he accepted a glass from James and bent in for a soft kiss. He handed back the glass and knelt at James's feet, forehead against James's knees. "Thank you, for having me," he said softly.

The sight was enough to take James' breath away, even having already seen Gabriel kneel once, something in James stirred, something he knew was more than just the gratification of having a submissive kneel for him. Something that felt dangerously close to what he had felt with Vesper. "I wouldn't want anybody else." Snaking fingers through Gabriel's hair, James scratched at the other man's scalp, dragging nails over his head. "I really wouldn't want anybody else at my feet here but you."

"Good," Gabriel looked up, and kissed James's palm. "So now I get to see you drunk and nutty and at your worst?"

"I don't think I change all that much sober to drunk." Bond laughed. "I'm more interested to see what becomes of you."

"I might sing," Gabriel warned. "If I do, feel free to smother me with a pillow until I pass out. There's no dance floor, so you don't have to save me from getting on stage and making a idiot of myself. That's my favorite way to unwind at home, I started going out again after Silva left. I forgot how much I enjoyed it. Even with no alcohol, it's a great way to unwind." He stood and pressed a small kiss to James's cheek. He took the glass back and swallowed the whisky in one go. "God this is good, you're in charge of the hard alcohol from now on."

"I won't stop you from singing or dancing, it sounds like it would be fun to watch." Bond knocked back his own drink, nodding. "I've got a good taste in everything I like. Alcohol, cars, partners." Pouring each of them a fresh drink, he sat down on the lounge chair, stretching out. "I pick out my vices well."

Gabriel accepted the glass and settled next to James on the nest of blankets. "You're not like the file said," he said thoughtfully, staring at James in the moonlight. "I suppose the file said all paper could really, but I don't find you angry, or aggressive. So tell me what you're like back in London, with your good taste in cars and alcohol. I can already see you have lovely taste in clothes, although I do think you'll rethink the excellent taste in partners when you get to know me. I'm a bit... well, I'm difficult. A lot of Doms have a hard time with me because I disagree when I know I'm right."

"I'm quick to turn to more violent means when threatened. Don't worry, I wouldn't hurt you, I'm just- I'm more likely to break somebody's arm then to ask them to politely step down I suppose is what was meant on the file." James shrugged. He'd never really put too much thought behind the way he acted, it was all just work or a result of his work. "We'll be sure to butt heads then, I hate being wrong, I'll do whatever it takes to prove that I'm right." He chuckled. "Being headstrong doesn't make you a poor choice."

"It's not little things..." Gabriel sighed. "I had some damage to my wrists because I told a Dom my wrist restraints were too tight, and they told me because I enjoyed pain... well, it didn't end well... she ended up being asked to leave the session. I'm not petty, but when it comes to safety matters, I will insist."

"I'll always be safe with you." James nodded. Safe with himself he couldn't promise, but he never hurt a submissive. "I'd never not listen to you during play, perhaps about my health or about work but never about submitting. Only the submissive knows what's best for them."

"Thank you," Gabriel smiled. "So tell me something about you? Your favorite color? Food?" He had his face close to James, enough to feel his breath on his cheek.

"Blue, I suppose. I don't really have a favourite colour. I'm quite partial to potato salad if that counts as a food. And what about you, Gabriel?" Bond kept the close position, voice in a low murmur, hands wandering up and down the other man's back. "What are some of your favourite things?" 

"Black... I suppose. It makes me think of space, food, oh, I like trying new things. Spicier the better," he relaxed under James's hands, purring.

"I know a few good places in London where you'll find some really spicy food. I'll take you there once we head back." James would be able to spoil Gabriel without him knowing that way, he had no issue in spending large amounts of money on people and at least if he was paying for dinner, that fact was disguised. 

"Can we have Mediterranean food?" Gabriel asked. "I've never had someone indulge my adventurous side."

"We can have whatever you'd like." Bond nodded. "I'm all for indulging your adventurous side." Winking, he bridged the small gap between the two of them, placing a chaste kiss on Gabriel's lips before pulling away with a smile. "I'll indulge just about any side of you you'd like."

"Why do I feel like we are going to five star restaurants and not market food stalls?" Gabriel teased. "I really am quite happy to go travel and stay in hostels and eat cheap food. I've just never had time."

"You say that now, but one cheap meal too many and you being to appreciate the overpriced fancy muck they serve up at five star hotels and restaurants." Bond chuckled. "Believe me, I've seen all sorts of people in my travel and tasted all sorts of food."

"We'll see, let's try it my way first. You don't have to be back for twelve weeks, and they don't take attendance."

"Are you suggesting we run away together for twelve weeks?" Bond cocked an eyebrow, smiling at the thought. "And here I thought you were a straight arrow."

"As long as we're back for the end and show our face between countries. We just have to put on an exhibition at the end. I'll teach you suspension rigging tomorrow. I'll send Maddalena a message," he grinned mischievously. "Due to your training as a spy you feel unable to relax when you've been sent a specific place... right?"

"Right." Bond nodded, grin clear on his face. "You know, I underestimated you, When I first came here I expected to find a submissive who wanted to play by the rules and help me tick all the right boxes to get back out on the field. You're nothing like that."

"It's been a long time since I've been myself, I suppose," Gabriel managed a smile. "There's more than one way to play by the rules, James, as long as we finish, who cares? It's not a contest. You're here to let your guard down, and I'm here to heal. More than one way to do that."

"Let's just hope that it doesn't all go terribly wrong in the process." Bond couldn't wait to get out and stretch his legs. The pleasure house wasn't doing anything for him, aside from getting him laid of course, and it didn't seem to be helping Gabriel at all either. "You pick a destination and I'll see how fast I can get us there." He offered, a devilish smile on his face. 

"How far East are we allowed to go and it still be considered Europe?" Gabriel's eyes sparkled. "We can go vampire hunting in Romania?" He managed a giggle. "I don't know really, I've never been anywhere."

"Vampire hunting in Romania?" Bond thought on it, pulling a face that suggested he was seriously considering the logistics of hunting vampires, no matter how funny the suggestion seemed to him before shrugging. "Sure, why not. If you've never been anywhere Romania is a good of a place to start as anywhere else."

"Wait, they aren't real, are they?" Gabriel's eyes got wide. "I was kidding, I don't think I could really stake someone through the heart. "I don't know, I just want to go somewhere that's not full of tourists and museums."

"Last time I checked there was no such thing as vampires, no." Bond shook his head. "But even without vampires Romania can be quite nice. A lot less garlic and fending off the undead too, so it probably gets higher ratings on travel sites."

"I'm in," Gabriel declared. "We can leave after lunch tomorrow. Can we take the train? I'm not much for flights. A private car, we can do all sorts of practicing."

"I can drive, I like driving so it's no bother." James offered. "And I'd rather not leave her behind if that's alright with you. You can practice on the back-roads a little, provided I can muster the strength to let you behind her wheel." 

"Your car? Really? Shouldn't I try on a rental first? If something happens you'll never forgive me," Gabriel said dubiously. "Probably not a good way to start as your sub, wrecking a car the price of the palace."

"I would make sure that there was nothing for you to crash into, trust me. I love that car more than I love Queen and Country, I'll keep her safe." Bond assured. "Failing that, once we get to Romania we can find a rental place."

"Maybe that's best? I don't want to mess this up because I wrecked the most faithful woman in your life," Gabriel reached for the bottle of whisky and drank it straight, skipping the glass. "Oh, now I'm warm and fuzzy. Where else is off the beaten path? Istanbul? Poland? I consider Brighton and Scotland exciting, so I might be a bit boring for you. And do keep me out of bookstores, or else we'll outgrow your flat before we get back to England."

"What if I limit you to half the back seat?" Bond offered. "Anymore books than that and you'll have to start leaving some behind." Taking the bottle from Gabriel to have a drink of his own, Bond rested his forehead against the others. "We can visit Brighton, I tend to avoid Scotland a fair bit if I'm honest." 

"I've done those," Gabriel said softly, leaning in for a kiss. "I'd rather do something new with you, something stupidly romantic that we can laugh about. If I only stuff half the back seat, does that mean I can fill the trunk as well? What about shipping boxes back?"

"Half the back seat and that's all." Bond shook his head, sticking to his limitation. "I can't let you fill the flat floor to ceiling with books." Kissing Gabriel, happy to oblige him, James hummed happily. "Something stupidly romantic? Venice per- Paris is supposed to be the most romantic place on earth, that'd certainly be cheesy enough."

"But isn't that what all the non BDSM dynamic people do?" Gabriel protested. "I'd much rather go to Greece, or... is it possible to drive to Egypt? I did warn you my entire storage back in London was books, yeah? I've been accused of having a bit of a book problem."

"You said you wanted romantic." Bond laughed. "Egypt? I suppose it's possible, it'd be a bit of a drive though; and if you really have than many books already then you really are only allowed half the back seat." 

"Well there's pyramids, and barges... and horse racing," Gabriel smiled. "At least in the movies. Just somewhere with running water for showers and I'm happy. And yes, I really do have that many books. Time to sort through and part with the ones I've already read that I don't need to refer back to. I built my own bookcases for the old flat, they're in storage. I'm sure your flat is like your car, they'll be a horrible clash. Rather like you and me."

"I'm not in my flat all that often so you're welcome to make it look like whatever you please." Bond offered. "So long as you don't go decorating my car we'll get along just fine. And I don't think we clash all that much, it's our differences that pull us together or some inspirational saying of the like, after all." He added with a grin. "You seem quite sold on the idea of Egypt, looks like that will be the first stop on our runaway holiday."

Gabriel laughed with delight. "That's amazing, I just mentioned it, I didn't think you'd really say yes- this is dumb James, you don't have to do this. I told you not to listen to me after too much whisky."

"What can I say? I'm a sucker for pretty faces with bright minds, Sweet." Bond couldn't help but want to indulge Gabriel in the getaway holiday idea. It was far better than staying cooped up at the pleasure house on M's orders. "Maybe I've had too much to drink too and that's why I like the idea so much."

"We're going to have so much trouble mixing our ideas," Gabriel muttered, and then turned back to James for a searing kiss. He bucked against James, pulling at his skin with greedy tugs. "I'm quite sure this will go spectacularly wrong, so let's enjoy it." He slid off his pants with a shimmy and settled on James's lap. "Did you remember lube?"

"To all the bad decisions we're yet to make." Bond grinned with a nod. "I didn't bring it out with me but it'll take all of ten seconds for me to go and get it, if you think you can get off my lap." He nodded with a playful buck of his hips.

"Spit," Gabriel ordered, sticking out his palm, loathe to let James out of touching range. He rode James's hips through the movements, trying to keep his balance. "I hope you can keep up."

"God, I haven't done that since I was a teenager." Bond did as he was told all the same, grinning as he watched Gabrie; try and keep his balance. "I'm not the one that will need to keep up, Sweet." 

"Shhh," Gabriel laughed and took both their cocks in his hand. "You only are as old as you behave. I do think we'll need to fly to Egypt at least. Oh god that's good," he teased his fingertips over the slit of James's cock.

"You said you didn't like planes, Sweet. I don't mind driving. I bet I could get us there faster than the plane, well, not that that's physically possible but I can make it feel that fast." Leaning his head back, James gave a small, satisfied moan. "I might drag everything else out but I'm a fast driver."

"We don't get forever to hide out, and I don't want to waste time," Gabriel swallowed a moan, and arched against James. "Now, make yourself come for me. I want to see," he breathed in James's ear.

"Fair enough." Bond managed the words through a harsh breath inwards. "You're being- a little demanding for a Submissive, Sweets."

"I want to see what you like," Gabriel said simply. "I want to know if there's something that turns you on that I'm not doing. Clearly you make me come like a teenager again. But I really do want you content to come home to me."

"I like getting off." Bond offered as blunt means of explanation. "But more importantly I like getting my partner off. It's a good ego boost."

"I agree," Gabriel trapped their cocks between their bellies and rutted James. His mouth formed a 'oh' of pleasure, and he tugged James in for a kiss that was all clashing teeth and moans.

Pushing back into the kiss just as forcefully, Bond kept Gabriel balanced with one hand on the small of his back while his other hand snaked down to help rub against their cocks, eager to add friction to the mix. "You're a little nymph, Sweet,my little nymph."

Gabriel moaned, eager. James's skin was warm, and his own sweaty from the alcohol. The cool night felt good, and he chased James's mouth.

Chuckling, James moved just out of reach. "Slow down, Gabriel, you don't want to steamroll through this, you're supposed to enjoy it." He moved back slowly, repositioning Gabriel's head with his own, nipping at the others neck and jawline, just enough to be painful but still bring Gabriel pleasure. "You should try enjoying the little bits more often."

"Says the person who let me loose on the whiskey and whose lap I'm sitting on?" Gabriel moaned, his skin shivering under James's mouth. "James, please?Bite me again?" He leaned into James.

"I'm enjoying the little bits, Sweet. I'm enjoying that needy expression on your face, those occasionally erratic little thrusts you do while you're trying to get off while still trying to behave for me. The taste of your skin." He punctuated such with another small nip, before latching onto Gabriel's neck, sucking, determined to leave a hickey that would stand out proudly for days, marking Gabriel as Bond's. 

"But James... I... Please," Gabriel begged, his cock leaking. "I need you inside me." He rutted against James, greedy to be touched and panting. 

"I don't think that need has quite reached its crescendo yet, Sweet." Bond teased, slowing down all of his movements, smiling proudly at the mark left by him, tempted to leave another before getting any further with Gabriel. "How bad do you need my cock, Sweet? How important is it that I help you out and fuck you raw?" 

"Please Sir," Gabriel bowed his head and sat back on his heels across James's lap. He stilled his breathing and made an effort to relax each muscle, and the leaned in for a kiss. He put his hands behind his back, not reaching for him. He could wait. "It's... strange. I'm so used to being told when and what to do, and you don't, you let me get all worked up."

Gabriel's restraint in the matter was nearly enough to break any that James had himself, the Submissive's act going straight to his cock, the sight beautiful. "I see no point in telling you what to do when you're already doing what I want you to do." Bond 's eyes were fixed on him, hungry and predatory. "I don't need you to obey my every word if you're already willing to give yourself up to me."

Gabriel swallowed, and leaned his forehead against James's chest. He nuzzled at James, his breaths a soft caress, and curled against his neck, hands still behind his back. It let James take the brunt of his weight and position them how he'd like. "Thank you, it's flattering that you enjoy it." He stole a glance through long eyelashes at James. "I don't feel like I'm putting on a show for you. I can submit, be safe. After awhile, it was all fake. I'd stopped actually submitting."

Moving Gabriel by the hips, positioning him just out of the way so that James could slide on James could open him up while there were still facing each other comfortably. "I don't want you to put on a show for me, Submitting isn't about catering to each and every whim of your dominant, not in my opinion. You should both be working together towards that climax."He smirked, fingers still probing, moving his free hand lazily long Gabriel's cock. "Or working to prolong it."

Gabriel snuck a glance at James, not sure what to make of his statement. "You're different. You don't want me groveling." He reached for James's chest, running his fingers across the scar on his shoulder. "You don't treat me like a toy."

"You don't seem the type for grovelling, or the type who likes to be treated that way." James shrugged. "I'm capable of it, I just assumed it wasn't for you. There's no fun in being a big scary dominant if your submissive isn't on board for the ride." Sliding fingers out, James repositioned them again, slowly moving Gabriel down onto his cock. 

Throwing his head back, Gabriel clenched around him and sighed. "I don't particularly like being scared. I enjoy pain, but... I've had enough fear for a long time." He let James bottom out inside him, and put his arms around James's neck. It was as intimate as they had been, and Gabriel found a an ache in his chest easing that he he'd thought was permanent. "But if you need to let off steam, you can be as aggressive as you need."

"I'll never push you further than what you're comfortable with, not without conversation first." James promised, letting out a low, pleased moan as Gabriel clenched. "That includes when I need to let off steam." James knew how he could be when not relaxed, he wouldn't put Gabriel through that without warning. "God, I could keep you here like this forever." Close, James could keep Gabriel this close forever, he could hold onto the man and do nothing else, something that scared James a little. He was probably getting too attached too fast, something he had always been guilty of. "But then where would the fun be in that?"

"As long as you tell me," Gabriel agreed. "I vote for staying like this. I didn't realize how much I'd miss having someone who feels like a lover, and not just a Master. It's... I've missed it."

"A lover." James parroted. "Well, the sex is certainly better that way. There's not all that much fun to be had fucking an object after all."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," Gabriel pulled back with a frown. "I know it's not what we are."

"No it's fine," James gave him a tight smile, rocking his hips to demonstrate as such. "I'm not quite ready for that yet, I've got some wounds that are still a little raw."

"I hope they'll heal," the effects of the alcohol were wearing off, and Gabriel's expression was somber. "I hope someday it won't hurt you to talk about the, that you'll trust me."

"If it makes you feel any better, you're the most likely candidate for my trust." James offered. "I'm certainly a lot more relaxed around you than anybody else."


	9. Chapter 9

"I hope you'll always feel that way," Gabriel smiled and leaned back into James, chasing his mouth. "It's easy to be relaxed when I'm in a beautiful place with a handsome man.

"You're just complimenting me because I have my cock in your ass." Bond teased, resuming his abandoned movements, slowly rocking just enough to build up some sort of friction, barely enough to do anything more than tease the both of them. 

Gabriel shivered against the vibrations of James's talking, head against his chest. "You enjoy teasing me any way you can get away with," he groaned."

"It's a speciality of mine." James nodded, keeping with his slow, small movements. "Because I know that enough of a little bit can get you right up to the edge, and if I give you just quite not enough, even after hours I can still stop you from coming. I get to watch you at the height of it all unable to come down from it and unable to get release." 

"I suppose I deserve it, that's what I get for getting all bothered and desperate," Gabriel squirmed and bit at James. "Is there something I can do to make it good for you as well?"

"This is good for me." Bond assured. "It's a little slower than I normally take it, but I enjoy teasing you too much to speed it up."

"Ah, so you're going to just tease me until I melt on your lap?" Gabriel purred. "Just let me become incoherent?" He licked a stripe up James's neck, the sweat making his skin shine. Bond was right, the little amounts of arousal keeping him on edge were intoxicating. He frotted against James, pushing him back against the headrest of the arm chair. "You're evil,"

"Until you're panting and you've forgotten how to speak, Sweet. There's more than one way to dominate somebody and I can assure you this way is far more torturous than pain. Pain's fun, a lot of fun, but so is watching somebody come completely undone on my cock."

Gabriel nodded with a sigh, greedy for James's hands on him again. "So show me your best tricks," he urged.

"Ask nicely and maybe I will I think you're being far too demanding for a man who wants something right now." 

"Please James?" Gabriel begged, head thrown back, almost weeping in frustration. There was a sheen of sweat on his skin, and he was flushed with arousal.

"That's a little better, I'm still not sure you really want it though, Sweet."Panting, James did his best not to speed up, determined to get Gabriel to bed properly before he gave in himself.

Gabriel sobbed against his neck, a wild, hungry look in his eyes. "Please James, I want you."

James could have dragged it out for hours, could have teased Gabriel right up to the edge and held him there, unable to get the release he wanted but something in the other man's voice filled James with a need he hadn't felt in a long while.Gabriel's need became his own and picking up his pace, moving to a hard, unforgiving pace, James let out a low, needy moan. "I want you too, Sweet." He mumbled against the others neck, hot and hard and impossibly close to the edge. "I need you."

"Please, please Sir," Gabriel was pleading incoherently, biting at the skin on James's collar bone. He was inconsolable, wrecked with arousal. "Please James, come for me?"

James didn't need to be asked twice, especially with the sounds coming from Gabriel, coming with a shout, riding through the climax with shuddering, uneven thrusts, wrapping his hand around Gabriel's cock to see the other man come too.

Gabriel came with a gut wrenching scream and collapsed against James. He pulled the blankets around them, and didn't open his eyes.

Breathless, James slid out of Gabriel, repositioning the two of them just slightly, wrapping arms around Gabriel to keep him safe. "And here I thought you were going to last for rounds and rounds." He chuckled. "You're all talk, Sweet."

Gabriel swallowed and hid his face. "Give me a minute?" He finally said, voice thick with emotion. "I'm sure I can handle another round in a minute," he hid a sniffle in the blanket.

Frowning, Bond watched Gabriel with careful eyes. "What's the matter? Did I push you too far?" The last thing Bond wanted to do was be the cause of stress for the submissive in his arms. "Are you having a drop, Sweet?"

"I think I just got too emotional, I'm sorry," Gabriel sat up. "I don't usually drop that hard, but I don't usually come that hard either. You caught me off guard."

"I'll try and take that as a compliment." Bond grinned, tugging Gabriel a little closer, doing his best to reassure the man without making too much of a scene about it. "Do you need some water? I don't want you to drop hard, that's the last thing I want to happen right now."

"I'm alright thanks," Gabriel smiled. "Just... don't let go for a bit?" he asked shyly. "I wasn't expecting... I don't know." He shook his head. "I haven't gotten that emotionally involved in sex in a long time."

"I'm not going to let go." Bond didn't like the idea of letting Gabriel go at all, he was content to hold the other man until he knew that Gabriel was back to his normal, smart mouthed self. "Perhaps I should go easier on you."

"No, no, that was perfect. As long as you don't mind me being reduced to a clinging mess, apparently," Gabriel sighed. He tucked his head under James's chin, and wove their fingers together. He ran his hands across the calluses on James's palm, and kissed each one.

"I won't complain if you need to be held," Bond reassured. "I'll only complain if you start pressing cold toes onto my legs, I can't say I'm fond of that." He was keeping the conversation light, trying to bring some sort of assurance to calm the other down. "At some point though, we probably should move back inside to the warm."

"Hmmm, no cold toes, check," Gabriel let a laugh escape, finally unwinding. "Will you start a fire in the bedroom if I bring in the blankets and make tea?"

"I'm sure I could manage that task." Bond nodded, carefully lifting Gabriel off him to stand, mindful to keep the blankets draped over the smaller man. "Two sugars, black." He added, sauntering past Gabriel to the bedroom, making lazy, unrushed work on the fireplace. 

Gabriel stretched with a yawn and brought the blankets and spread the on the bed. He made tea and brought it, his own far sweeter than the one for James. He also brought a plate of biscuits, and settled into the bed to admire the view of James bent over naked.

"I hope you're working on warming those toes of yours." James didn't turn around as he spoke, voice light, calmer than it had been in a long time. He'd finally relaxed, the feeling almost so foreign to him that he felt the urge to go and do something work related and preferable dangerous. It was nice to know that he didn't have work to run back off to, however, that he still had a while to himself with Gabriel and no obligation to save the world from a threat near too big to handle. 

Standing up, stretching upwards to let his back click, the sound accompanied by a groan, Bond padded back over to the bed, sliding back into bed with Gabriel. "Thank you for the tea, Sweet."

"I'm nice and warm, thanks to you," Gabriel smiled sleepily and gave James a sweet tea flavoured kiss. He rubbed a hand down James's neck, working out some of the knots. "You feel a lot better than you did when you arrived," he nuzzled into him and sighed. "I feel like I haven't been this relaxed in a decade."

"I don't think I've felt this relaxed ever." Bond mused quietly, lowering his head slightly, letting Gabriel work at the knots in his neck with a content sigh, taking a small sip of his tea. "If I had have known that you were all I needed to finally get some down time I would have hunted you down years ago." He joked. "I wasn't this relaxed with Vesper..." He paused, her name still bitter in his mouth. "I'm glad I met you, Gabriel."

"Thank you. I am too," Gabriel said softly. "I'm just sorry you had to go through that first. Being betrayed is an awful feeling." He warmed some oil in his hand and worked his way down James's spine. "Although I suppose we are here because of what we've been through, so I shouldn't complain. Turn for me, and I'll get the rest."

"Complaining never gets you anywhere anyway." Bond agreed. Turning to face Gabriel instead of away to let the man continue, he gently moved the other man's hands down, leaning in for a small, light kiss. "How about you turn around, Sweet? You've rubbed my back enough, I feel like I should treat you for once. You'll just have to let me know if I'm too rough, I'm used to being rather forceful with my hands."

"You don't have to, but that sounds wonderful," he admitted. "Although if you'll rub my wrists, that's even better. I have a little bit of carpal tunnel from all the computer programming and work, and my hands get stiff when it's cold."

"I'm sure I could manage that." Taking Gabriel's wrist, Bond gently kneaded around the bone, careful not to apply too much pressure. "I'm sorry about how rough my hands feel, I don't think there's much I can do to combat that." 

"It feels wonderful actually," Gabriel moaned happily. "Remind me to stretch them in the morning. Makes it better after not moving all night. What got your hands so rough anyway?" He ran his hands over the calloused palms. "It feels like you work with wood, or tools. This can't all be from weapons."

"I like to climb." Bond explained. "And occasionally work can get a little hairy. There's always something exploding or a bad guy to fight." He chuckled lightly. "Life is never dull, that's for sure."

"Ah, that explains the callouses then," Gabriel said. "I've never been climbing. I'm rather scared of heights though, don't know how well I would do. I've had more time here to work out than I did when I was home in London and working. But then I'm supposed to keep my skin soft and not bulk up too much."

"It's certainly not for everyone, you seem much more a picnic at the bottom of the mountain kind of person." James nodded, moving onto Gabriel's other wrist, still careful to be gentle. "I don't think there's anything wrong with you bulking up a little. I know there are 'standards' and the like, but honestly I'd rather my submissive be happy with themselves than compliant." 

"I felt like it was at least a good way to stay safe, and mentally make me feel like I didn't need to be a victim, didn't need to tolerate abuse. It was a hard decision to decide to accept the Courtesan position. Maddalena assured me that the person they'd chosen would be careful with me, apparently she better you as well."

"Do whatever you need to feel safe," The idea of Gabriel feeling anything but safe made something protective stir in James, and he found himself fighting the need to move closer in order to protect Gabriel better. "I'm glad you came back then, I'm not sure that I would have been able to relax around the run of the the mill Submissive." 

"I like being able to be... vulnerable, again, I guess," Gabriel settled against him, pulling James closer possessively. "For a long time, I only taught rigging. I couldn't stand the idea of kneeling in front of someone, it made me feel ill. I wanted to, but when I tried... at first I worked with Maddalena, and it helped that she was female. She suggested you, said you weren't the average Dom, she'd been asked to take you on as a special project."

"A special project. That makes it sound so clinical." Bond shook his head. "I suppose M is paying quite a bit to have me here too, she would have wanted to make sure there was an actual incentive for the house to take me on." Leaning back on the headboard, Bond let out a small sigh. "Thank you for kneeling for me then, it sounds like it was quite a big deal for you. I can certainly understand not wanting to present that much vulnerability, though as a dom I doubt I'll ever fully understand what it means for you."

"Thank you," Gabriel smiled. "It's my pleasure to kneel for you, although, yes, it has gotten easier as I've gotten to know you. The house runs by donation actually, no one is ever turned away. It's a big difference from the other houses. And also the only one that doesn't have strict guidelines on body size and shape. We believe there's more to a person. The house appealed to me as a child, I had a romantic streak. And after Raoul, I needed some comfort, I needed a safe place. This is the safest place I've ever been."

"Donation? A very large donation then." James offered as way of a joke. "I don't know if too many other pleasure houses would have been happy to have me. I have a habit of well... let's just say that I'm not always friendly when I'm emotional, high stress job and all that." Still trying to make light of the whole situation he laughed, moving to curl around Gabriel, pulling closer, despite how physically close they already were. "I'm glad that you feel safe here, Gabriel, you know, if things don't work out between us I'd almost recommend you living somewhere like this. Maybe not in the house but somewhere close by, the whole area seems to suit you well."

"I'm actually ready to go back to London, but thank you," Gabriel said softly. "You don't have to make light of it James, I know this was just as hard for you. But... I'd like to just think positive for a little while. Even if it doesn't work out, I think I'm ready to go back to a normal life. I can't hide forever, and there's always sessions to come back for."

"Hiding isn't so bad." James joked. "But I suppose you're right. You can't hide forever, I've learnt that well enough."

"I'm pretty sure Silva is going to do something bad," Gabriel sighed. "And I'm the only one that knows how he codes, knows how to stop him. I know how he thinks, James, and it scares me. So if I can keep him from doing to anyone else what he did to me, it will be worth it. I have a bad feeling, I've been dreaming about him lately."

"What type of something bad, Gabriel?" From what he had heard of the man, James didn't like the idea of him getting up to anything. "You might have to speak to MI6 a little earlier than planned if you think he's going to do something on a larger scale."

"He mentioned a Mrs. Olivia Mansfield more than once, called her Mummy. I did let her know, when she interviewed me the first time. She asked if he was why I turned down the job, and when I told her yes, she said she was glad I'd gotten away from him. She called him one of her greatest regrets. She didn't mention him when I talked to her today, but you might ask tomorrow when you call her. Let her know I mentioned being nervous about him."

"Mummy?" That worried James, it worried him a lot. "I've never heard her mention him once, I wonder how the two of them know each other." The calm relaxed mood James had been enjoying dropped, his mind switching to work as double-oh seven pushed James Bond to the side. "Did he ever say anything in particular? Perhaps I should head back into MI6, if he's dangerous she might be in trouble."

"You can use face time on my phone? She gave me her personal information to contact her outside of work hours in case of an emergency. She said that she hoped I wouldn't need it, but with you anything was possible," Gabriel grabbed a shirt. "Just do put on some clothes, she'll be able to see you."

James nodded, his mind completely focused on work, moving to dress quickly before coming back over, his eyes scanning the immediate area, assessing any dangers, suddenly feeling like this Silva could be anywhere watching them, watching M, the possibilities for danger endless. "Best be professional in this situation." The joke fell flat, James obviously not able to put enough of a lie behind it to seem calm. 

"Mrs. Mansfield? This is Gabriel Shaw. I'm sorry to bother you at this time of night, but James insisted. I think Raoul Silva is planning something, and James said it's imperative that you know."

"Has he been drinking?" M started the coffee with a sigh.

"That's not the point, I think he's taken on contract work against the government," Gabriel sighed. "James thought it was important enough to call you at this time."

"With all due respect ma'am, I think you need me back at work. I don't know much about this Silva but I trust Gabriel well enough that if he thinks something is going to happen, I'd like to be there to prevent it." James offered as way of input, concern evident on his face. "If you're at risk, or even potentially at risk I would rather be there and overworked than here and unable to protect you."

"007, when you got your position, you replaced a man named Tiago Rodriguez. He was selling secrets to the Chinese, and got caught. He ended up being tortured at their hands," M poured the coffee, her shaking hand betraying her. "I was under the impression that he died. Recently new information has come to light, and we discovered that he is alive, and going by the name Raoul Silva. You are extremely lucky to be alive Mister Shaw, and that in part is why Agent Bond was assigned to you. There's no one that is capable of keeping you safer."

"I understand Ma'am," Gabriel shivered and moved closer to James.

"I will leave it to you to decide when you want to leave. You're safe there, and I know it was a great honor for you to be invited to be the Courtesan. You can decide between the two of you whether you'd like to continue this session, or if you'd prefer to return another time Gabriel, with or without Bond. Goodnight," the face time screen went black.

"I have an idea," Gabriel said. "We're expected to give an exhibition, show how well we work together, and how our dynamics mesh. There's two options. We can come back another time for a different session. Or... we can reverse roles. I can rig you in front of an audience. It's the ultimate sign of trust to allow someone to do that. Offer me the collar, and then ask me to tie you. No one would dare question a show of trust like that. Only the founders of the house ever showed such trust they reversed roles."

Dread filled Bond. This Silva -Rodriguez- as it were, had been an agent once. This wasn't just some crack hacker from M's past, this was a double-oh gone rogue. Moving to wrap an arm around Gabriel, half to calm the other and half to reassure himself that Gabriel was in no danger right this second, Bond nodded, swallowing thickly as the screen went black. He had to go back now. 

"She knew all along." He muttered, a bitter taste in his mouth. "I can't believe she didn't tell me about it." 

Turning to face Gabriel properly, Bond tried to focus on the now rather than the thousands of thoughts whizzing through his head. Protocols and training could wait, he had to look after Gabriel. "it would be better if we finished off the session sooner rather than taking off, it might raise suspicion if we just take off." He nodded. Not that James liked the idea of being rigged up. Though he certainly trusted Gabriel, the ever present thumb of Silva now lingered. "And if I return with you collared it would raise less suspicion back at MI6. I think that's the better option."

"I'm sorry James, I can't think of any other way that they won't question us not coming back. We could leave and come back, but who knows what will happen in twelve weeks. We'll practice in the morning tomorrow, so at least you'll know exactly what I'm going to do. As soon as you can get a collar, we can ask to do an exhibition. There's a shop in town that makes jewelry, they might be able to help," Gabriel paced, biting at his thumb.

"I should have known better," he said bitterly. "I should have known that Raoul was using me as an in to get back at MI6. Let's get this over with and then we can go our separate ways. You shouldn't be stuck looking after me."

"No, don't be like that." James frowned. "I don't want you to leave once it's over, I'm not stuck with you. Believe me, if I don't want to do something, I don't do it. Especially when it comes to people." He offered Gabriel a weak smile, trying to compose himself a little better for both their benefits. "You couldn't have known what Silva was planning, if he was a double-oh, he was no doubt hard to read at the best of times, you couldn't have worked it out on your own." Resting a hand on Gabriel's knee, James gave it a light squeeze. "Once we're done with him, we'll see to it that you get a good life, with or without me, alright?"

"I just thought I was finally rid of him, finally could stop looking over my shoulder. I thought I was going to go back to London with you. Not that it would be perfect exactly, or even fucking work. But just that I'm not so stupid that I was living with someone who had a whole previous life," Gabriel shook his head and curled into James. "I'm a complete idiot. All I'm good with is machines, people confuse me."

"Hey, Sweet, it's alright. You don't need to beat yourself up because of this, you couldn't have seen it coming." Bond assured. "You still are coming back to London with me, you still can have a not quite perfect life in London, we just need to clean up one little thing first." Trying to downplay the whole situation, Bond gave him a small kiss. "You underestimate how good I am at my job, Sweet. This will be over soon enough."

"Just promise me he won't get his hands on me?" Gabriel shivered. "I don't think I could stand it. Now that I know who he is, it makes more sense. I've seen him get angry with people, and then I never see them again. He scares me."

"I won't let him get anywhere near you." James promised with a nod. "He won't be able to find you, I'll keep you safe." James wouldn't let another person he cared for get hurt, especially not Gabriel. "This will all be over quickly, M will get it sorted and I'll do the dirty work and then you'll never have to worry about him again."

"Just be careful, please. He's cruel and I don't want you to be hurt because of me. M seems really angry, but I can understand. She was betrayed."

"I'm always careful." Bond gave a winning smile, moving to lie Gabriel down in the bed, pulling him close. "We'll worry about that in the morning though. Let's get some sleep, I have a feeling neither of us are going to get a chance to sleep well for a while after tonight."

"Alright," Gabriel curled up with a yawn on James's shoulder. "So much for round two," he teased.

"One day we'll get around to it." Bond pulled blankets up over them, burying Gabriel into his side, close and protected. "We'll have a whole day of sex one of these days, just you watch."

"Mmm, that sounds nice," Gabriel hummed. "One of these days," he sighed, drifting off into sleep.

James barely managed any form of proper sleep, his senses too high, ears alert to every small noise, eyes watching for shadows that might be more than shadows waiting to attack. With Gabriel in his arms, he felt the need to watch any and all movement, well into the morning, trying to allow Gabriel some sleep where it could be had. He only wished that he had been able to get up before they had gone to bed and placed his gun somewhere closer by. Somewhere where it would have been some use. 

Blissfully, the night passed without any attacks, no men coming to attack, no danger there to harm the two of them. Groaning, James closed his eyes over, letting out a small, tired breath.   
Gabriel blinked awake as James groaned, and sat up. 

"Wow, you didn't sleep at all," he touched the circles under James's eyes. "Were you able to get the collar?"

"I haven't left your side, Sweet. I was going to go get it while you're at breakfast. You could talk to Maddalena about the situation, get some food into you." Rubbing his face, James pushed himself to sit up, yawning. "I wanted to make sure you were safe, I'll catch some sleep later, it's fine."

"Thank you for not leaving me alone. At least let me pack you something to take with you, some sandwiches and coffee?" He stood and headed for the kitchen. "I'll go talk to Maddalena after, we should be ready for the exhibition by noon, and we can leave right after. Are you doing okay with this?" he asked softly. "I know this is a big deal for you."

"Coffee sounds good. And yes, Sweet, I'm find with doing this. Try and not think too much on it or you'll stress yourself out too much." Bond nodded, begrudgingly pushing himself out of bed, moving to have a quick shower, making himself presentable to go into town, donned in one of his suits, eyes still tired but neatly presented all the same. "How do I look? Sufficiently not tired enough?"

"You look wonderful," Gabriel handed over a thermos of coffee and bag of sandwiches. "I talked to Maddalena, we're set for 1pm. Be careful."

"1pm." James nodded. "I'll be here." Part of him wanted to leave, he wanted to keep Gabriel safe and the safest place, bar being directly beside James at all times seemed to be the pleasure house, but he knew that abandoning Gabriel now wouldn't do anything to help either of them. "I'll be back with a collar, thank you for the food, Sweet." 

Gabriel nodded, not trusting his voice to remain steady. He made short work of a shower and toast, and headed for the main house to talk to Maddalena.

"Maddalena, can I see you in the office please?"

***  
"Gabriel, you realize how unusual of a request this is, I hope? A normal session is a minimum for 12 weeks, and I've seen Courtesans train for a year or more," she sat back and sighed. "I spoke with Mrs. Mansfield this morning, and she said that since James has extenuating circumstances, she'd like for me to consider whatever your idea is. But a Master is not made in a single session Gabriel, you know that."

"I'm not asking you to make him a Master, I'm not even asking to be officially made a Courtesan. I just need the tattoo, and I'll return to finish. Or I'll cover it once James figures out what is going on with Silva. You know how frightened I was coming here, coming back, afraid he was going to follow me. Something's really wrong, and I don't know how much time we have to fix it."

"And how does your James feel about being suspended? Have you tried it at all?" 

"Once, and it wasn't a good experience," Gabriel ran a hand through his wet hair. "But at this point, its the only plausible way I can think for us to leave."

"I ordinarily would never say yes to this," Maddalena sighed. "But we also protect our own, and you know I would never put the house norms above safety. I'll agree, on the condition that you both return to earn these tattoos."

"Thank you," Gabriel bowed his head.

"Tell MI6 they are robbing me of the most talented student I've ever trained," she gave Gabriel a hug. "Make him treat you well?"

***

Standing awkwardly in the jewelers, carding through their magazine of available collars, Bond wished that he had more time to choose out something nice for Gabriel. He had spent a good amount of time trying to find the perfect collar last time and now he only had hours to make the decision. Hours to make the decision on a collar of a man he barely knew. 

"Perhaps something simple, sir? I find that one can not often go wrong with a simple collar. It suits all tastes." The assistant offered, moving to pull one of the more conventional collars from the display cabinet. 

"He'd certainly prefer something less flashy, I just want to make sure I get it right..." Bond muttered, glancing over at the collar. "I want it lined with the best you have, I want him to be comfortable in it." Given the circumstances, Bond wondered if Gabriel would be able to be comfortable in any collar. "I need one for more formal occasions as well, though I'd rather not have anything that makes him look like he's my trophy. Money isn't an issue, just make sure it's tasteful." If it weren't for his work, James would have been content to let Gabriel wear the normal collar everywhere. No, he was making plans far too ahead in advance. There was no saying that Gabriel would stay with him after the fact. 

"I'll go in the back and get you the best we have." Bond gave the assistant a polite nod, waiting anxiously for their return. He took both collars and paid before making a quick exit, back to the pleasure house.


	10. Chapter 10

Gabriel tried to remind himself that it was all for show, all to keep him safe and make sure that Silva never got his hands on him again. But that was hard, arranging ropes, waiting for James to show up with a collar. It all amounted to a harrowing couple of hours. Gabriel finally decided on soft, silver jute ropes, and blue restraints that would be a lovely match for James's eyes. 

He forced himself to take a walk away from the suspension room, and went back to the cottage to pack. No doubt they would be off as soon as his tattoo was done, and for once he contemplated a spot for it. He looked in the mirror at his throat, envisioning the eight point star with an added longer point, containing James's name in Bond's own writing.

He touched the star that already was there, space left for a ninth point. It was the traditional tattoo given at the end of a second session, the gap for the Courtesan's point. It would be easy to cover, if James changed his mind. He couldn't imagine kneeling for another Dom again. He swallowed and packed the rest of the clothes, hands shaking a bit.

Walking back into the cottage, James sat the two collar boxes down on the bench, shrugging off his suit jacket before moving over to the wardrobe, near walking into Gabriel with a soft 'oh'. "Sorry, I suppose I should have been paying attention." He chuckled, stepping to the side, making room for Gabriel to move past with his clothing. "I picked out the collars, I hope you like them. I realized I don't really know too much about your taste other than 'not flashy.'" 

"I'm sure they'll be perfect, I hope you didn't spend too much, you know silver and platinum look exactly the same- I'm rambling, I'm sorry," Gabriel sat down abruptly. "I'm nervous," he admitted. 

"It's alright, you're allowed to be nervous." Bond replied, offering Gabriel a small smile, kneeling down to reassure the other. "It's all going to go alright." 

"Don't, you shouldn't be on your knees," Gabriel protested. "They're going to tattoo your name on me, and you're going to put a collar on me-" Gabriel covered his mouth with a hand before a sob could escape. 

Frowning, James rested a steady hand on Gabriel's knee. "If you don't want to do this, tell me. You're not obligated to anything, you understand that right?" The last thing he wanted was to have a submissive against the submissive's will. "I won't hold you to anything, I won't be mad if you don't want it."

"I want it, that's the problem! I want it so damn much that I don't know how to tell you no, that I'd rather pretend than not have it at all. Is that what you want to hear?" Gabriel threw the bag of clothes he'd packed in frustration and stormed out, slamming the door behind him. He was going to cry and he didn't want James to see it.

Following after Gabriel, James called out, trying to catch up with him. "I never said we couldn't have it, Gabriel! I said that if you didn't want it you could leave at any time."

"I want you!" Gabriel whirled around, tears leaking from the corners of his emerald eyes in frustration. "I want you so fucking much I can't stand it. I want this all to be real because it's everything I've ever wanted." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Just for once, I'd really like to believe that someone wants me as theirs, and not for what I can do. Let's get this over with." He wiped his eyes and headed towards the house.

"I do want you Gabriel..." James was trying to be gentle, reasonable, trying to calm Gabriel down to no avail, following after him, hoping that in the least Gabriel would calm a little. "I wouldn't agree to it if I didn't want you."

Gabriel sat down suddenly against the garden fence, face in his hands. "Me? Why would you want me?" he asked plaintively. "You're gorgeous."

"So are you, Gabriel. But it's not how you look that attracts me to you." Sitting down beside Gabriel, James turned to face him properly. "You beautiful, inside and out, Gabriel. Smart and you know it, it's the type of person I like. You shouldn't sell yourself short."

Gabriel looked at him with wide, green eyes that begged for James to be telling the truth. "I'm an idiot," he sighed, leaning his head on James's shoulder. "This is more emotional than I expected. Tell me about your shopping trip?"

"It was a shopping trip." James offered up somewhat uselessly. "I uh, went to the store and picked you out a collar for everyday use and a dress collar, hopefully you'll like them. I ran a red light for a bit of fun too, if that's anything."

"Will I look like a Tiffany's ad on your arm?" Gabriel teased, standing and brushing off his clothes. "I really do hope you didn't spend too much, it's not the price tag, it's the meaning. You couldn't have picked me up one off the rack at any store and I would be honored to wear it," he bowed his head shyly. 

Chuckling, James shook his head. "I wouldn't buy you an off the rack one, I wanted to get you something comfortable to wear." he pointed ignored talking about the price tag, not wanting to upset Gabriel, knowing he wanted one for large amounts of money. "I want you to be happy in the collars, not uncomfortable." 

"Can I see, or do I have to wait?" He offered James a hand up. "Your taste in clothes is excellent, I'm sure it will be beautiful, and comfortable. I'm wearing white trousers this afternoon, what would you feel comfortable wearing?"

"I'm going to make you wait, because I know how impatient you can be." Bond pulled himself up, brushing himself off. "Is my suit alright? I'm afraid I don't really know what to expect or what's expected of me here."

"I'd recommend skipping the jacket and tie," Gabriel stood back and looked at him thoughtfully. "No shoes or socks. You're going to be suspended in the air, but I won't lift you too high. They'll be expecting sex. Do you think you can let me ride you?"

"I'll grit my teeth and get through it." Bond nodded. "If it doesn't work out, I'll safe word, I trust you enough and provided you don't start asking my questions again I should be fine."

"Just focus on my eyes, there's no one there but us," Gabriel said softly. He changed into a pair of white silk trousers, no pants beneath, when they got back to the cottage. "They're going to tattoo me, as the Courtesan, when we're done. Or at least add the ninth point to my star," he held up the curls on the back of his neck to show James.

"Nobody but us." James nodded, undoing his tie. "I'm sure there will be a lot of people proud of you then." He added, staring at the tattoo. "I know I am."

"You're going to write your name, in pen, and Maddalena will tattoo it. Unless you know how to work a tattoo gun? It's traditionally done by the one who does the collaring, although had you trained to be a Master here at the house, this is something you would have learned. The final point will point up, and sit above my collar."

"I can't use one, no." James shook his head. "I think I'd be more comfortable with somebody else doing it then giving it a go, I'd much rather somebody do it well than have me ruin your tattoo."

"I hope Raoul doesn't see it on me, he'd be furious. He got turned down for training here, which is unusual. They said he had a sadistic streak that bordered on abusive," Gabriel stacked the bags by the door. "There's food in the fridge if you'd like? I'm too nervous to eat."

"He has no claim on you any more, Gabriel, he has no right to be furious if he sees it."James considered the food, before shaking his head. "I'd rather not eat anything before hand. A glass of water for us bother perhaps, but I don't think I could eat anything."

"Water, alright," Gabriel grabbed two bottles, his hands shaking. "Dammit. I shouldn't be this nervous. I've done this before. It's because it's you," he confessed. "Because it counts. Normally I'm not nervous at all."

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm nervous too." Bond took the bottle of water, guzzling most of it down. "Normally I'd have a shot or two if my nerves were this bad, not really appropriate for now though."

"After," Gabriel said. "More than a couple of shots when we get back to London. And when this is over with Silva, we really are staying in bed for a whole weekend. I got cheated," he murmured against James's mouth.

"I'll do my best to get it all done quickly then." Bond laughed. "If my reward is spending a whole weekend in bed, I'll do it faster than what I'd normally take on a job." He had already intended to get the work done at a ruthless speed, but there was no harm in trying to add a little humor into a humorless situation. Kissing Gabriel gently, he ruffled the others hair. "I'll do my absolute best to make sure that I don't leave enough to have him identified by." 

"No phones on, no world ending," Gabriel agreed, chasing James's mouth for another kiss. He was caught in James's arms, and relaxed against him.

"You're going to look lovely in all that rope, wrapped like a present just for me," he whispered.

Happy to kiss Gabriel until they had to leave, James kept Gabriel firm in his arms, wanting to hold him there for the foreseeable future. "You know, when you say things like that I wonder if there's just a touch of a dominant man in you, Gabriel."

"Well given the circumstances, I certainly intend to enjoy it. I've never tried it actually, I'm a little nervous, but I know what I like, and what scares me. So I'll have to go with that," Gabriel sighed. "Think of something you can do to signal me though, if you get uncomfortable. I can always slow down."

"Isn't something as easy as 'slow down' enough?" Bond offered. "Or isn't that sexy enough for an exhibition?" He joked, thinking over the request. "I suppose I've never really considered the idea of slowing down through it, it's always just been 'get the job done Bond' for me."

"That's fine," Gabriel smiled. "I just don't want you pushing through and panicking, when all you need is for me to make eye contact. This is... different. I'll probably go slowly, just to talk myself through it. I'm going to give a bit of an introduction at the beginning, so if there's anything you'd like me to say?"

"I'll try and not make a scene like last time." Bond nodded, "Though I'm sure I can manage it this time, so I should be right." He paused, before shaking his head. "I can't think of anything I'd like you to say, I'm rather out of my depth here, I'll leave it all up to you."

"It has nothing to do with making a scene, we've all panicked while we are restrained, or are with a partner. No one will see you as less if you do. I dare say none of the tops in the room would want to trade with you, either. I think it should be required more often, personally, for a Dom to switch places. Nothing prepares you for that utter helplessness."

"Well if you can enjoy it, so can I." Bond shrugged, trying to downplay the whole situation. "I'm quite well versed with helplessness, I think it's more the control that people have to be willing to give up, that feeling of having no control was far worse than any helplessness I've ever felt."

"You hold all the power, you have the safe word," Gabriel reminded. He leaned in for another soft kiss. "Let me get some lube. Will you help me stretch out?"

Nodding again, Bond moved to the bed where it would be easier to work Gabriel open. "I can't have you doing all the work on your own now, can I?"

"Well I do like when you do this part," he sighed and relaxed under Bond's hands. "You feel good, James. I wish it was going to be me. I still want to teach you to tie."

"I'm sorry that you didn't get to teach me, under different circumstances maybe I would have had the time to learn." James would make it his goal to learn when back in London, even if he had to squeeze in lessons through work. It was the least he could to for Gabriel considering the sacrifices he was making for both James and MI6. Slow and careful with his preparation, James gently kissed Gabriel, trying to relax him as best he could before they were needed. "You'll get your chance, don't worry about that."

“Well consider there’s no road trip for me to take over your apartment with books, maybe I can find us a suspension rack when this is all over with Silva.” He hummed contentedly. “You do have wonderful hands. I like when you touch me. It feels… safe. Will London be safe, after he’s dead?”

"I have a feeling that the suspension rack will take up less room than your books would have." Bond chuckled,keeping his slow, careful pace. "London will be safe no matter what, Gabriel. Before and after he's dead. Try and not worry too much, this is what I do for a living, Silva won't be any different."

“I still have the books in storage, don’t forget. Although I suppose its good that I don’t have furniture that I am attached to. I have bookcases, or I can order some that match your decor better. I don’t know how you feel about furniture, or how long you’ll really want me to stay after all this, I hope you won’t change your mind,” Gabriel sighed. “We should head up to the house though.”

"You can decorate my apartment any way you'd like." Bond offered with a smile, pulling himself up and then Gabriel up to stand. "And don't worry, I don't think I'll be changing my mind about you any time soon. I'm very stubborn like that."

“I hope not, I do play music and cook to unwind, or do odd things like dye my hair,” Gabriel grinned sheepishly. “I get stressed and then I have to explain to everyone, why all of a sudden I have green hair, or no hair, or a new tattoo. It was nice having my own business, no one asked when I showed up looking like I’d be attached by a crayon box.” Gabriel stood. A few more hours, and we’re home free.”

"Fine by me. So long as you don't cut your hair and leave it all over the floor. Or use my alcohol in your cooking I'm sure we'll get by just fine." He laughed, taking Gabriel's hand. "It's now or never, I suppose. Let's get this over and done with so we can go and deal with your pesky ex boyfriend, Sweet."

"I'm neat," Gabriel protested. "I will even promise to brush the cat. I'm very responsible and neat. Wait until you taste my cooking. And I won't touch your alcohol for the kitchen, unless it's pouring for you."

"Oh? Then everything will run fine" Bond chuckled. "I'm not going to put a thousand and one restraints on you, I might be a little over possessive at times, but I'd like to say that I'm still a reasonable man."

 

"As long as you are nice, I actually would prefer you be possessive, or at least care. I do tend to get lost coding though, so you may have to remind me to eat sometimes," Gabriel opened the house doors, collar boxes tucked under his arm. He led James to the exhibition hall, and handed him the boxes.

"I'm sure I can manage to drag you away, Sweet." Bond nodded, taking the boxes. "I'll admit now though that I'm not entirely sure what I'm supposed to do. I just kind of offered the collar to Vesper, I didn't do it in front of anybody, we kept it rather quiet."

"I'll talk, just follow my lead. Open the box and wait for me to kneel, and then ask if I accept," Gabriel smiled. He nodded at the other students filtering in, and to Maddalena.

James couldn't remember the last time he had felt real nerves, nodding, licking his lips trying to wet them as he glanced at other others slowly milling in to watch. "All right, I'm sure I can manage that." He nodded again, before shifting his weight slightly, trying to recompose himself.

"Hello everyone, I know it's unusual to call an exhibition this early in a session. I'm Gabriel, and this is my Dominant, James. Unfortunately there are circumstances that call us away from the school that are crucial, but as the training Courtesan, it's also my job to lead by example. I know we have always prided ourselves here at Bella Nascosta on being open minded, and trying to learn from everyone. It came as a surprise to me this week to realize that I'd never tied someone else. And I think we need to. We need to experience every side of what we practice, or so James and I have chosen. The founders of our house, for their final exhibition, chose to reverse roles, as the ultimate show of trust, that's what James and I will be doing today."   
He knelt in front of James, head bowed, and kissed his bare feet.

Trying his best not to think about the last time he had offered a collar to a submissive, Bond cleared his throat, opening up the first box before sheepishly realizing it was the dress collar, closing the box and opening the other, pulling the collar out.  
"Gabriel," he managed, somewhat stilted in his words. "It would do me the greatest honor if today here with these people in witness would accept my collar."

"Your will is mine, Sir," Gabriel risked a quick smile to reassure him. "It would be my pleasure."

Letting a breath out, James nailed back, kneeling slightly to place the collar around Gabriel's neck, careful not to make it too tight. "Thank you, Sweet."

Gabriel took a breath, and smiled, his eyes lighting up. The moment the collar settled around his neck, he calmed, and let his hand rest on James's. He kissed each palm, and took James's hand to stand. 

All he wanted was to back in their room and let James claim him. But he picked up the rope, and took a deep breath. It was like meditation, he wound the knots, first around James's arms and torso, and then down his body. By the time he worked his way down to James's feet, he nuzzled at James to reassure him, aching hard.

James managed deep, concentrated breaths, finding himself able to trust Gabriel enough to ignore those watching, instead keeping his watchful gaze on the man tying him, careful eyes watching Gabriel grow more and more aroused by the situation, wondering if if it were the tying or the anticipation of the sex to come that had the other so completely transfixed. 

"How about a kiss, Sweet?" He murmured lowly, keeping his volume loud enough for only Gabriel to hear, leaning down slightly, unable to move quite as well as he would have liked. "I hope the show is going well enough, am I supposed to be acting a certain way?"

"You're doing perfect," Gabriel bent and caught his lips. He moaned against James's mouth, and tugged the knots tight. He stood and connected the rope to the frame. He tightened the top ropes for James so he was resting in the rope, feet just slightly above the ground. 

He attacked James's mouth like he was starving, and buried his fingers in his hair. He dropped his own trousers and straddled James to unzip his, the rope creaking slightly as it swayed.

James only wished that he could wrap his arms back around Gabriel, that he could pull at the other man's hair in turn, rocking slightly with every push of Gabriel's mouth, the feeling of being above the ground and bound somehow not forcing James into the back of his mind, his agent side blessedly nowhere to be found. 

Not yet hard enough for the next step in the whole process, James groaned into the kisses, enjoying himself the same. Bound as he was, Bond still did his beat to claim Gabriel on the one way he could, doing what he could to take control over the kiss, doing his best to show Gabriel that he was fine and that there wouldn't be a repeat of the last time James was bound.

Gabriel mouthed at his skin in desperation, mewling against James's mouth. He let James take control of the kiss. Despite the fact his boy was on top, he gave control of the kiss up to James. James would be doing the penetrating anyone, and Gabriel had never developed a taste for topping.

There was a sigh of relief when Gabriel allowed him that one piece of control, attacking Gabriel's mouth as the other man gave him more and more control. "Why don't you help me down there?" It was an order, quiet and hummed against swollen lips, James' need for Gabriel throwing any reservations he had had previous out the window.

Gabriel reached for the bottle of lube and slicked James's cock, sliding out the plug he'd used on himself earlier. The ropes swayed and he lined himself up, and slid onto James's cock with a moan of relief. He flung his head back, the pulse showing in his throat. He was flushed pink and his eyes were wide, chest heaving.

It was an odd feeling, to be bound and restrained with somebody on his cock, unable to wrap possessive arms around Gabriel and pull him closer, to set the pace with any real control, James' only option to roll his hips upwards, canting backwards slightly, trying to get more friction, a low, predatory growl escaping him, the frustration of not being able to set a faster pace from the angle they were at making Bond try again, canting backwards, pushing his cock into Gabriel with less off an effect than he would have liked.

"Look at me love," Gabriel growled, green eyes gone feral. "In a few hours, I'm going to be underneath you, and you can sink your teeth into me. Can you taste me? I'm sweaty from tying you, from letting you fuck me. And I'm going to have your name tattooed on me, so you damn well better give me a ride to remember."

Eyes snapping to Gabriel, Bond panted, frustrated at the ropes holding him back and increasingly needing to pound that smart ass of Gabriel's, Bond shifted again, putting training into practice, pulling himself up against the ropes, jutting hips forward and up with force, finally able to set some sort of rhythm to work with. 

"Stay still." He commanded, voice rough, needy. "You're not allowed to move towards my cock, not allowed to move away, do you understand? I'll fuck you at my pace, it's your job just to take it." There was no teasing this time however, Bond didn't have the control to drag it out, to drag those sweet moans that Gabriel had made for him in the past, movements quick, drawing hard pants from Bond has he put all he had physically into fucking Gabriel.

Gabriel nodded, holding himself still. He bit into his lip to keep from crying out. His nails were digging into his palms, half moons of blood. He begged desperately, unable to make sense of the words himself, just hearing the babble escaping.

James kept with the pace, brutal and fast, his every and only intention to see Gabriel come faster than he had previously gotten the smaller man off, lapping up every moan of those incoherent babbles, losing himself in the pleas, chuckling slightly. "Just like that, Sweet, God, you're perfect."

Gabriel let out a cry, tears of frustration leaking from his eyes, and came across James's stomach. He leaned down to capture Bond's mouth at the same time and clenched around him, determined to drag James's orgasm out of him by force, if necessary.

It didn't take James long to come after Gabriel, the triumph of getting Gabriel to come so quickly and the feeling of the smaller man clenched around him dragging the orgasm from James with a shout, the agent panting, doing his best to catch his breath, energy worn from the high demand of fucking Gabriel while bound.

Gabriel pressed several kisses to his chest and let James's breath return to normal. He sat up shakily and let James slide free. He took the pair of scissors lying on the floor and cut James's hands, and gripped them to brace himself enough to stand. He barely trusted his legs to support him, and locked his knees to stay upright. By the time he had James untied enough to offer him a hand upright, he managed a smile, and a bow, to the people watching.

Still doing his best to catch his breath, James bowed with Gabriel, feeling a little silly for it but complying all the same. "Let's go back to the cabin, hm?" He smiled, wiping sweat from his brow, moving to zip his trousers back up. "I feel more out of place standing here in front of everyone than I did in those ropes. Unless we're supposed to stick around for a bit, this is your domain after all."

"No, let's go shower. Maddalena will bring the tattoo gun and meet us, and I can use some food," he adjusted the collar to lie against his throat. "Should I worry that you haven't showed me the dress one yet?"

Taking Gabriel by the hand to lead the two of them out, James gave a polite nod to those watching before excusing the two of them, leaving for the cottage. "It's a little more ornate than you probably would have chosen, it's not tacky by any means, but I'm not sure it is exactly to your tastes."

"I'm sure it's lovely," Gabriel smiled wearily. "Can you turn on the kettle while I fill the tub? You wore me out there," he teased.

"I hope you like it when you get to see it." He nodded, hoping that Gabriel would like the second collar, knowing that the other man didn't have much of a like for being on display as a whole. "I wore us both out then." Bond chuckled, moving to the kitchen. "I can't say that I've ever had to try quite so hard to have sex before, I got a good workout from that."

"Well that's definitely preferable to a treadmill, hopefully it showed you a little of why I enjoy it," Gabriel smiled. "You can bring the collar with you and show me. And you'll have to take this one off for the tattoo," he frowned. "Don't want to get it dirty."

"Much better than using a treadmill." Bond agreed, leaving the kettle for the time being to bring the second collar box over. "If you don't like it, I can get it exchanged. I'd much rather you like what you wear."

"I- oh!" Gabriel's eyes went wide. "This is amazing. You shouldn't have, oh my god. Tell me why you picked this one?"

The collar, a light silver stained leather, had been pressed with an intricate design, meant to stand out against clothing and accentuate the wearer's neck. Bond had picked it hoping that it would strike a balance between what was accepted in the societies he was around and what Gabriel would actually enjoy wearing, letting a small breath out when it seemed to be the case. "I thought it would suit your eyes, and the colour contrasts nicely with almost anything you'd wear..." He offered, just glad that Gabriel liked it. "I figured you wouldn't like anything with diamonds or the such, they tend to look tacky in my opinion anyway."

"This is perfect," Gabriel threw his arms around James's neck and managed a breathless kiss. 

"Well I was going to ask if that was all a show at the exhibition, but clearly not," Maddalena said, amused, as she opened the cottage door. "Thanks for answering my knock."

"I'm glad you like it so much." Bond returned the kiss, wrapping arms around Gabriel, tugging him close on instinct at the voice, taking a moment to realise that it was Maddalena before releasing the grip slowly. "I'd like to think that people can't fake that."

"No, I don't believe they can," she held out her hands to Gabriel. “It's a pleasure to greet a Courtesan of my house," she kissed each of his cheeks in turn. "I hope you take care of him, James, he's a treasure. You're very lucky. Go shower, and I'll do your tattoo. James, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Nodding, James stood up, moving away from the bed. "Of course, what is it?"

"Please take care of him," she sighed. "He came back after Silva just destroyed. If you aren't serious, at least tell him."

"I am serious about him," Bond assured, "I'm more worried about him finding the relationship too taxing than anything else, I'm not exactly conventional in my ways."

"Gabriel is an extraordinary man James, I have no doubt he can do whatever is necessary," she smiled. "He lights up when he looks at you, I didn't know if I would ever see him so alive again."

"He is extraordinary, I don't think there's a single person out there like him." James agreed. "I just hope that my track record doesn't claim somebody else dear to me."

"Be honest with him and let him know the dangers, and he'll rise to the occasion," Maddalena smiled as Gabriel reappeared, kneeling next to James with a soft sigh and a brush of wet hair. "Your turn for a shower, lover," he whispered. "Can you take the collar off, but put it where I can see it, for the tattoo?"

"Honesty isn't my strong point, but I'll do my best." James smiled at Gabriel as he walked back into the room, bending down to remove the collar from the other man's neck, setting it down on the bedside table, making sure that Gabriel would be able to see it clearly. "I'll leave you two to your work, I'll be back in a moment." He excused himself, heading to the shower.

Gabriel stared after him wistfully, and Maddalena smiled. "He adores you, Gabriel. Just don't push him away because of bad memories," she settled down on the couch and set up the tattoo gun. "When he's done I'll have him write on you."

Gabriel shivered with delight and touched the collar with the tips of his fingers, reassuring himself it was real.

Reappearing from the shower shortly after, dressed in a comfortable pair of sweatpants, drying his hair with a towel, James placed himself on the bed, watching the other two with careful eyes. He was so painfully out of the loop when it came to formal training and pleasure houses, and not knowing what was expected of him was something that Bond was not used to experiencing. 

"So, where exactly am I supposed to sign for you?"

"Remember I explained that she is going to tattoo your signature on the last point of the star?" Gabriel bent his neck and handed James a marker. "Maddalena has already drawn the star point, you just need to sign."

Gabriel leaned back against James with a comfortable sigh. "And would you pour me tea, please? I forgot," he yawned.

"So I sign directly onto the neck?" Bond asked, nodding all the same, taking the lid off the marker, carefully signing his name where it was needed before moving back. It was all so foreign to him, the idea that his name could be tattooed onto somebody else's body, and yet it seemed like something that made sense all the same. Leaving Maddalena to it, Bond instead moved to pour Gabriel a cup of tea, handing it over to him carefully. 

"Should I leave you two alone for this or am I supposed to stay?"

"Whatever you like, if you're feeling shaky though, stay where I can see you? That can be pretty emotional, your first exhibition in front of an audience," Gabriel kissed his cheek, lips warm from the tea. He had his hands wrapped around the collar, anticipating the bite of the tattoo needle.

Sitting down across from Gabriel, Bond watched, admittedly more drained than he would have thought from the whole ordeal, pouring himself a cup of tea in lieu of pouring himself a proper drink.   
"What about you? Do you feel... shaky?"

"A little, more tired than anything." Gabriel spoke over the sound of the tattoo gun. "I drop pretty bad when I'm the one tied though, especially after something that intense. Wouldn't be surprised if you do as well," he offered. "That was more than I was anticipating."

"I'm sure I can manage a little lull," James chuckled, none too fussed, despite how drained he felt. "I'll keep that in mind for when we finally get to do it properly though, I've seen some terrible drops in my time and I'd rather avoid them when possible."

Gabriel held out his hand for James to come and lay beside him. "What time do we need to leave? I googled the drive, its about 17 hours without traffic. Maybe you should catch a nap first?"

"I'm ready to leave as soon as you are, Sweet." Moving down the lay near Gabriel, he have the others hand a soft squeeze. "The long drive doesn't bother me, I'll be fine."

"As long as you're sure? I am looking forward to riding in your car though," Gabriel stretched as Maddalena finished. He turned his neck so James could see the last point of the star that pointed up the back of his neck with James's signature.

"I'm sure." Bond reassured. "You've done a good job there, Maddelena," He added, giving the woman a small smile, his mind moving to his work now that the two of them were done with formalities. "Is there anything that needs to be done with it to keep it clean?"

"Just like you did last time Gabriel, antibacterial soap and lotion when it starts to peal," she smiled. "I hope you’ll both come back for a full session sometimes, the house Courtesan is always welcome, as are you, Mr. Bond. "You are always welcome to come and train here as a master, I'm afraid you didn't get to see much of what we do."

"If I can find the time to have leave from work, I'll be sure to come back." James nodded, fake promises leaving his mouth with ease. He doubted that he would both have the time and the want to come back and formally train, if given the time off, James would much rather take a break from all society, not just the one that engulfed his every move. "I'm sure that next time I won't have to leave in quite so much of a rush."

"You never know, it seems like my life is going to be considerably more like yours from here on out," Gabriel held out the collars. "Will you put them on on my wrists until the tattoo heals?”

Taking the collars James fastened them around Gabriel's wrists, kissing each hand after he had done so. "I hope your life doesn't become like mine, it might wear you out faster than I'd like to see."

"Thank you," Gabriel ducked his head to lean into James. "Goodbye Maddalena, and thank you. I'll put the bags in the car, James?"

"If you would." James nodded, reaching behind him for his car keys, tossing them over to Gabriel.

"Thank you, James," Maddalena shook his hand. "I've never seen someone more beautiful when they submit than him, and together, you two are dynamic. That was the best exhibition this house has seen in years. I'd recommend pushing, and seeing other likes and interests you may share, you mesh well."

"He is a sight to see." James agreed, shaking her hand in turn, giving a polite smile. "I'm sure we'll both learn a lot from each other, I just hope that after this is all over he'll still want to spend his time with me. Thank you for having me, even if I did have to leave early and drag Gabriel with me."

Gabriel sat in the car, thinking about returning to London. It had been enough time that he was missing it, and that was a far cry from his leaving. He hit the horn, impatient to go.

"Looks like that's my cue to go." Bond gave another polite smile, leaving the cottage. Despite the circumstance, it would be nice to be allowed back into work. 

Climbing into the Aston, Bond took the keys from Gabriel, turning the car on, letting her idle for a moment before pulling out of the car park. "Time to go home, Sweet."

Gabriel squeezed his hand and nodded. "I'm ready. And I've decided Silva doesn't have a chance against us."  
He leaned his head against James's shoulder, and fingered the tiny scars across his knuckles softly.

"He doesn't. We've got MI6 on our side, one man can't hope to take that down on his own." Bond reassured. "With any luck we'll have dealt with him by the end of the week. Just in time for a lazy weekend in bed."

"I like that," Gabriel agreed. He yawned and smiled sheepishly. "I brought you a thermos of tea, but do you mind if I have a nap?"

"Go ahead, Sweet. It's a long drive, I'd hardly expect you to stay awake for all of it."

Gabriel pressed a kiss to his cheek and curled up on his seat. By the time he opened his eyes again it was complete darkness, and the only light in the car was the reflection of the dashboard instruments on James's eyes. He was tucked under a soft leather jacket, and James was humming quietly.

Noticing the shift, Bond glanced over, before turning his eyes back to the road. "Have a good nap, Sweet? Here I was beginning to think that you'd become sleeping beauty."

"Yes," Gabriel stretched and rubbed the collar around his wrist with a comfortable smile. "Tell me something, why did you agree?"


	11. Chapter 11

"Because there's something about you that captures my heart." Bond replied honestly. "You make me feel relaxed, Sweet, in a way that I didn't think it could after Vesper."

"Alright," Gabriel nodded. "Tell me what else I need to know about Six, and the other agents? I didn't have much freedom the last few years I was in London."

"There's not all that much to say that you won't learn first hand. It's a tightly run ship, and a secretive one. You'll learn most of it once you're on the inside." Bond offered, somewhat uselessly. "Most of the agents will poke you a bit to start with, but that's normal. We all like to suss out fresh meat, and you'll be fresh meat that managed to win over 007.”

"Oh dear, I'll have to beat them off with a stick, won't I?" Gabriel teased. "Do I need to stake my claim, or will the collar be enough? We should probably pick up bandages for my neck so I can wear my dress collar when we get there," he added.

"I'm sure the collar will deter them enough." If anything, Gabriel was more likely to get questions on just how he managed to bag 007 then any real competition. "There's a small first aid kit in the glove box, there might be something in there you can use."

Gabriel opened the glove box, and swore as James's gun landed on his foot. "How do you even carry this thing? There's so many modifications I could do!" He turned it over in his hand and studied the grip. "How secure of a fit is the gun in your hand? I had an idea about coding guns to only work to one person's palm print, and I could lighten the weight as well." He took out the first aid box and found a square of gauze large enough and taped it to the back of his neck.

"My gun works just fine, thank you very much. There's nothing wrong with her at all." James protested, reaching over to take the gun, putting it back in the glove box. "Will that do the job well enough? It's not an overly well kitted out kit."

"Yes, it's fine," Gabriel smiled. "I just thought if your gun was coded to your palm, it wouldn't work if someone else tried to fire it. That might come in handy. I could also put a GPS tracker and transmitter in the barrel. Would work for situations where your radio isn't usable."

"My radio never works." James hummed, a small smirk on his face. "And there aren't many occasions where somebody else gets to point my gun at me. I appreciate the ideas, but they would be a little wasted on me I'm afraid. What would go down a charm though, would be something like an exploding pen. That would be fun."

"James, that sounds like a much rehearsed request," Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Let's deal with Silva, and see where Mrs. Mansfield wants me. I don't know that she'll still want me as Quartermaster after all this. but at least I can show her the ideas that I have. I started thinking what improvements I could think of after I was offered the job. When we stop..." he trailed off.

"It is rehearsed, I've wanted one for ages." Bond chuckled. "When we stop what? Or is it 'when we stop Silva?' Don't let him frighten you, Gabriel. You're in safe hands."

"No, I was going to ask if you would put my collar back on when we stop?" Gabriel smiled. "And I'll see what "I can do about an exploding pen, at least as something just for you. I'll need to set up a workshop, hopefully they will give me room at Six."

"Of course, Sweet. I was going to stop at the next rest stop, I need to stretch my legs and get some caffeine into my system." James reached out, squeezing Gabriel's knee. "And I'm sure that M will give you somewhere to work. She's not in the habit of wasting talent."

Gabriel smiled. "Caffeine sounds good. This would be a beautiful drive to do sometime when we aren't in a rush." The full moon on the hills turned everything an ethereal shade of silver, and Gabriel fae in its light.

"Luckily for me, everywhere I go will have a touch of beauty now." Bond hummed, a light smile on his face.

Gabriel blushed prettily and got out of the car as James parked, stretching his legs with a groan. He held out the wrist with the dress collar for Bond to put on. "May I wear this one, if that's alright? It's beautiful."

Climbing out of the car, Bond yawned, walking over to join Gabriel."I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be able to." Removing the dress collar from around Gabriel's wrist and refastening it around his neck, Bond placed a small kiss on Gabrielle's cheek. "Now, time for caffeine."

Gabriel curled against him and followed him into the store. "Do we get sugar as well?" he grinned. "They have pastries. I'd die for something with frosting or chocolate." He pulled James along with him happily to the coffee counter.

"Order whatever you'd like," Bond gestured to the counter, more than happy to buy Gabriel whatever treats he wanted for the trip. "I'll likely try and push through and not stop again on the ride unless you need to use the bathroom, so feel free to stock up on treats."

"Just a pastry is fine, I have a sweet tooth, especially when it's coffee and not tea," Gabriel hummed. "Although I wouldn't say no to a chocolate bar as well. What do you like as far as food? I cook when I have time."

"I like boring food." James ordered a pastry and a chocolate bar for Gabriel, as well as a sweet tea to wash it down, ordering himself a strong, black coffee to keep him awake on the road. "You don't really have to go all out for me to enjoy it, a home cooked meal of any sort will do me well, Sweet."

"I can cook some pretty elaborate things," Gabriel frowned. "Silva didn't like me to leave the house alone, and at least they deliver groceries, and I could look up recipes online. Anything that's your favorite?" Gabriel juggled his own coffee and tea.

"I really don't need anything fancy, Gabriel. I like the basics. Roasts, stews, that sort of thing." Taking the pastry's to somewhere where the two of them could sit, stretching out still. "And I'll be letting you go out for groceries, you're not a house pet."

"I... Will you..." Gabriel sighed and squeezed his eyes shut. "Will you go with me until we find Raoul? I really don't want to have to face him alone. I've taken self defense training since, but... I'm still worried I would panic and freeze."

"I wouldn't leave you in danger," Bond assured. "If you'd rather not spend time away from me we can have it arranged, at least until I have to leave to deal with Silva, I don't think it'd be a good idea for you to be there when I take him out."

"I know realistically that he can't enter Six, and that I will be safe. I just can't help the nightmares, that feeling of helplessness that makes my stomach hurt," Gabriel scooted onto James's lap. "I really would feel better. I'm sorry to be such a coward. I've seen what he can do, and he's pure evil. He's spiteful and he likes causing pain."

"You're not being a coward, Gabriel, and I'll stomp out anybody who dares suggest it." Bond wouldn't allow anybody to suggest the like, especially not after what Gabriel had gone through. "But you're right, he can't hurt you, not while you're at MI6 and never while you're with me. I won't let him get close enough to try,"

"Thank you, for protecting me," he said softly, his face still pressed against James's neck. "I know that you weren't looking for a new sub, but I'm glad you chose me. I wasn't looking for a new Dom either, to be honest. I has sworn off ever letting someone near me again, letting someone get too close. Maddalena convinced me to give it one more shot."

"I'm glad we both gave it another shot. To think that I could have gone my whole life without knowing you, without meeting you." He tugged Gabriel in closer. "I think if I hadn't have met you there wouldn't have been anybody to fill in that gap."

"For me either," he agreed softly. "I wasn't thinking about going back to London at all. I'd thought about Cardiff, maybe work for one of those tech companies. Somewhere I could be anonymous, and didn't have to be in charge. I suppose that all my plans didn't do a hill of beans of good. Oh, incidentally, I do hope you have a lot of pillows and blankets, I'm something of a bedding thief.”

"I'll buy some more." James noted, laughing at the confession. "I don't mind indulging your habits if they're not hurting anybody.”

"No hurting anyone," Gabriel agreed. "I've been known to stay in bed and code in a nest of blankets all day. Sometimes I do my best work just when I was about to drift off to sleep and I get an idea, or an idea from a dream when I wake up. I am looking forward to seeing the cats again," he smiled wistfully. "Silva didn't like them, so I paid for my aunt to take care of them when we started dating. I'd go to visit, but not as often as I wanted. They were only back with me for a bit before I left for Italy. I thought I saw Silva on every bloody street corner, I needed to clear my head."

 

"I really can't wait to meet Silva and give him a piece of my mind." Bond growled. The idea that a Dominant could treat their Submissive so poorly didn't sit well with Bond at all, the protective need to keep Gabriel as safe as possible nagging at Bond, telling him to load the other man back into the car and to keep driving, to get him somewhere safe. "Your cats are more than welcome in my house, I won't restrict you in any way, Gabriel. I promise."  
"Thank you," Gabriel smiled and climbed back in the car. "If I thought he would possibly leave us alone, I would say let's just avoid him. But something is brewing."  
"It won't be brewing for long, Sweet, don't you worry about that." Climbing in himself, James glanced around the carpark, seeing a threat in every shadow even though rationally he knew that there wasn't anything out there. "He will be gone for good soon enough."

Gabriel settled back into the car and curled up under James Jacket, sipping the tea grateful for the warmth. "The only thing about London I don't miss is the weather," he sighed. "You look on edge, did you notice something?"

"I'm just seeing things, don't worry." Bond assured. "Open spaces and unknown threats has never really been a good combination for me."  
"I'm sorry, I know this isn't what you were expecting taking me on," Gabriel sighed. "I really will do my best to make it worth your while. At the very least I'm a good cook and housekeeper.”  
"You don't have to make it up to me, Gabriel, really." Bond smiled. "The only thing I want is for you to stay safe."  
"I'm not used to sitting and looking pretty," Gabriel protested. "It was miserable doing that with Silva, and I'd much rather be useful. It's the least I can do for you in exchange for protecting me. Or you could let me pay the bills. I do hope M will still hire me."  
"You don't have to sit around and be pretty, I just want you to stay safe. I won't barricade you in a bedroom, but I don't want you running into the danger either."  
"Well I'm hoping to go to work every day, Six is certainly safe," Gabriel managed around a mouthful of pastry. "This way I can watch your back, and I'm out of danger. Do you have any CDs?"  
"I tend to listen to the radio more than anything, you're right to turn it on if you'd like." Turning the radio on, James left it to Gabriel to adjust. "Play whatever you'd like, I don't mind."  
"I'm not picky, I just feel like I'm hearing things in the silence," Gabriel leaned against James's shoulder. "Would you tell me something about you, something I don't know?"  
"I really don't know what you want me to share." Bond shrugged. "I don't like peas?"  
Gabriel giggled. "I was thinking more personal, but peas, okay. I'm sorry, with all the stress, that's really funny. Do you have any friends at home?"  
"I've got one or two, yes." Bond nodded. "I'm sure you and Eve will get along. How about you? Anybody in London for you?”  
"No, just my Aunt," Gabriel sighed. "I wasn't allowed out much, so I have some hacking friends, and friends in chat rooms. The hackers might be useful for finding Silva, but no one I want to associate with anymore. My chat friends were more to keep some thread of sanity, hear that there were people out there still doing things I could no longer do. I've stayed in touch with several, we'll meet for tea when it's safe."  
"I'm sure Eve will drag you out to make new friends, don't worry about that." Bond hummed. "She's always telling me to get out more."  
"That would be nice, I haven't been out in a long time," Gabriel smiled wistfully. "I used to love to go dancing. It's been a really long time since I've been to a club, but enough alcohol and I'll be okay. Maybe you can come with us?"  
"Out clubbing? I'm not entirely sure that's my scene, I might drag your party down." Bond chuckled. "I'm a bit old for it, I think."  
"But I want to dance," Gabriel smiled. "What if you put my collar on and take me to some club where you can have me kneel next to your chair?"  
"Well that would defeat the purpose of you going out to dance." Bond couldn't say he was object to the idea however, Gabriel there at his knees was a fantastic image. "I'm sure we could find some sort of middle ground."  
"I've heard there are some fantastic BDSM clubs in London," Gabriel smiled. "I've never been, but I'd love to. Does your friend Eve have a sub?"  
Smiling knowingly, James shrugged. "If I start gossiping about Miss Moneypenny she'll have my head."  
"Oh come on, some warning! You can't have me work with spies without giving me some warnings. What about the other 00 agents? Does anyone else have a sub? I'll be the only one at Six, won't I?"  
"You won't be the only one, though I'd wager that you'll be one of the only higher ups." James offered as way of an explanation. "And there's not too much warning needed, really. You'll find that most spies are easy to read outside of the field."  
"I'm not good with people," Gabriel said helplessly. "It's been so long since I had to be around them unless I was in charge. I am looking forward to meeting everyone though... is that your phone?" Gabriel frowned.  
"I'm sure you'll get back into the swing of things in no time." Bond reached down to his pocket nodding, checking the number on his phone before putting it to his ear. "007 speaking."  
Gabriel's phone went off a few seconds later. "Yes, hello? Yes, Mr. Tanner, this is Gabriel Shaw. Yes, I'm with Mr. Bond right now."  
Glancing over to Gabriel, before slowing the car down, not willing to pull over completely. "What's going on? Why are we both being called?"  
"Someone named Tanner wants to make sure that you are with me, and that you have a loaded weapon. He also wants to know if you have inspected the car recently?"  
That was enough to get Bond to pull over, slamming down on the breaks. "Why would I need to check my car? If Silva has done anything to my car I'll skin him alive!"  
"I don't know, Tanner just said to ask you?" Gabriel's hands shook as he turned off the call. "He said we should get out and you should check if you hadn't. Who called you?"  
"Eve, she was checking to see how far off we were." Bond turned the car off. "You'd better get out too, just incase." Reaching down, James opened the bonnet before reaching across to take his gun from the glove box, climbing out of his car, moving quickly to inspect under the bonnet, flashlight in hand.  
Gabriel scrambled out, eyes wide. His phone rang again. "Yes, hello? Who?" He covered the mouthpiece. "James, do you know someone named Alec? He said to tell you that there's been a fire at your flat, and he wasn't cooking."  
Swearing, James tensed, looking up to meet Gabriel's eyes. "Ask him if any of my safe house's have been touched." Silva moved fast, it seemed, James didn't know how he could have found out about Gabriel and he returning to London, doing his best not to point fingers at anybody from the pleasure house. "And tell him to watch his back, the last thing I want is a firefight before I even get there."  
"Shit, yes. What about the safe houses? Ok, I'll tell him," Gabriel turned back. "It's your phone. Alec said that headquarters had been getting a countdown of how long until we get back, and that it kept moving, but slower recently. That must be when we got out. Get rid of it!"  
"A countdown? What, like a bomb?" The idea that he'd been driving a bomb straight into MI6 made him feel physically sick, doubling his efforts to locate such.  
"Yes, Alec, I got it, I don't know if he will, but I'll try," Gabriel ran fingers through his messy hair. "Alec said to run over your phone with the car,that the tracker is inside it. And he said to tell you that if you get yourself blown up over a pretty piece of arse, he'll kill you. Yes, now I've related it all, Alec, Remind me to spit in your tea!" He punched the off button again.  
"If there's a bomb attached to the tracker I'm not sure it's the best idea to run it over." Bond muttered, still inspecting his car. "If there's a bomb, if." he reminded himself, furious with the idea that there could be one in his car. "I wouldn't spit in his tea, by the way, he might be a bit rough but Alec means well. We're brothers in all senses bar literal."  
"He called me a pretty piece of arse, I'll either murder him or we'll be best friends. That depends on if he really was saving our lives or not!" Gabriel stopped in his tracks, "James, remember how I talked about how GPS could be put in your gun handle? You phone has it built in. No wonder. Now the question is whose phone are they tracking, yours or mine? Should we ditch them both?"  
“I'll be sure to give him a talking to for that, don't worry." Bond could see Gabriel and Alec getting along, provided both men kept their pride under control. "We should get rid of both phones, yes. I can't see anything wrong with the car, so I don't think we'll be blowing up any time soon either." Bond closed the bonnet, pulling his phone back out. "It does mean that we'll have no way of contacting MI6 though, which is a bit of a worry, I might have to break a few more road rules so we arrive ahead of schedule."  
"Please, just get us there?" Gabriel asked, taking a deep breath. "I'm sure Alec and i will get along Marvelously, as long as he doesn't pinch my bum. Then I'll do more than spit in his tea. Let's go?" He tossed his phone off the highway in one direction, and his battery in the other.  
Tossing his own phone, Bond nodded, turning to get back into his car. "I'll see us there in record time."  
Gabriel nodded, and buckled his seat belt. He fingered the silver leather around his neck that matched Bond's car, and eyes. "Will you tell me someday, about Vesper?" He asked, quietly.  
""I don't think there's all that much to tell." James didn't want to ever have to think about her, about what she'd done or how he had watched her die. "Is there anything specific you want to know about her? You ask a lot, are you after something in particular?"  
"If there are some easy things like food and places I can avoid, I'd like to," Gabriel stared out the window. "Like when I pouted. I don't want to remind you of her."  
"Lot's of things remind me of her, Sweet, don't worry about reminding me, it's fine." Bond assured the other man. He could hardly tell that that flash in his eyes or the cheek Gabriel delivered reminded him painfully of Vesper. That his smile, his laugh, the way he phrased certain things all reminded Bond of his lost love. It wouldn't be fair on the man. "Venice isn't somewhere I'd like to go again though."

"Never been," Gabriel shrugged. "It's just how you look at me sometimes, like you're going to say something. It's the same look you get when you talk about her. I remind you of her in some way…”

"You're two completely different people." Bond lied. "I only think of her because I didn't expect to go back to anybody after her, that's all. I promise."

Gabriel frowned. "You're a bad liar," he said softly, covering James's hand with his own. "I know it still hurts, but I hope some day you'll tell me."

"I'm not lying." Bond pressed, determined to convince Gabriel and himself of that truth. "It would be like comparing me to- well, let's just stick with that you're different people."

"I've seen her picture, James, we could be related," Gabriel added. "Your M sent it with your file. She said you would either have a soft spot for someone who looked like her, or it would be the perfect stone in your show to snap you out of everything."

"You two don't look alike at all." Bond laughed, still lying to the both of them. "You both have dark hair and big eyes, but so do hundreds of thousands of people on this earth."

"James..." Gabriel shook his head. "We can talk about this another time. Maybe a bottle of scotch would make it easier for you."

Probably, but James wasn't going to openly admit that to somebody he was trying to lie to. "We may have to spend the night at MI6, I don't think it'd be safe to go straight to a safe house, given the events of tonight already." He replied instead, changing the subject. "I want to make sure that the safe house hasn't been compromised before we get there, rather than walking into a trap."

"I was planning on being there until Silva is caught at the least," Gabriel agreed. "Maddalena will mail some non-essentials for me, but I brought everything I'll need immediately for the week. How far out are we?"

"Not long now, I'd give us an hour, two at the most. Luckily, being an agent allows to me break and few of the road rules."

"Good, I'll feel better once help is closer," Gabriel shivered. "I really am looking forward to being safe inside Six. I'm going to have my aunt keep the cats until this all settles. I don't want to give Silva another pressure point to get to me."

"It's probably best, yes." Bond nodded. "Better to keep them safe and miss them a while longer, really, considering the alternative."

"Yes, I know. I'm trying to be practical," Gabriel finished the coffee. "I do have some other ideas about how we could modify your car if you're interested. I'm sure we can get at least another 100 kilos an hour out of her."

"You could get her going that fast? I'm not sure that M would approve of that, I'd love it though."

"Does it belong to Six, or is it your personal car? There really are some modifications that would be really useful for the car fleet, like bullet proofing and turbo."

"She's mine, I suppose technically she's supposed to belong to Q branch, but she's mine." The family he never had, really. Bond loved his car as much as he loved his work, more even. "You've got some good ideas there though, Gabriel, I'm sure they would all be of great use."

"Anything I can do to keep you safe," Gabriel dug some paper out of his messenger bag and jotted down a list of ideas. "I'll see what I can do about an exploding pen as soon as this Silva mess if over," he winked at Bond. "Is Alec as much trouble as you are?"

"Tenfold more," James laughed. "But he's a damn good agent so he get's away with even more than I do." Alec was a force to be reckoned with on the field, but he was also as shameless as Bond when it came to leisure. "I'll keep him in line though, don't worry too much about him."

"It will be fun to be around normal people again. Or non-tech people, I suppose. I'm not too normal myself," he managed a self deprecating grin. "Does anyone like to read that you know?"

"There'll be plenty of tech people for you to hang out with in Q branch, don't worry about that too much." Bond grinned back. "You'll learn to hate us less tech efficient people, I used to drive old Q up the wall and halfway into retirement." He joked.  
"I don't think I know anybody who reads as much as you do, though then again, I'm out working so much that I don't get to know too much about anyone."

"They sound like a fun group, I'm looking forward to meeting the, Q Branch, is that what you called them?" Gabriel smiled. "Who picked that name? is it because the Quartermaster is in charge, or the scrabble tile score?"

"I never thought to ask, actually. Why the scrabble score? You know, know that you've bought it up I want to know why it's called Q branch..."

"Well I figured since I applied for Quartermaster and M told me that was where I would work..." Gabriel shrugged. "Q and Z are the highest scores in Scrabble. Ten points for just the one tile. Something to do with all the words I learn in books that I've never heard."

"We'll both have to find out, I suppose." Bond chuckled. "I can't say the folks in Q branch are all that fond of me though, so you might have to do the asking."

"Why not?" Gabriel asked. "Don't tell me you spend time in there asking for exploding pens and damaging your ear pieces? That might explain it, you know."

"Something along those lines, yes." Bond admitted, a grin on his face all the same. He wasn't bothered by his track record of bringing back Q branch tech in pieces or not at all. "I get more scoldings from Q branch than I do from M."

"You know, the more time I have to spend repairing broken equipment, the less time I can spend attending to you," Gabriel purred, teasing a hand up Bond's thigh. "I would so hate for you to be lonely at home because I had to stay at the office and repair your broken equipment."

"That're more incentive to bring tech home in one piece than I ever had. I'm not sure I can manage it though, I have a way of breaking everything I touch." Bond glanced down at the hand on his thigh, smirk widening. "Maybe I'd just have to come into Q branch and 'attend' to you while you work."

"No, none of that," Gabriel scolded. "That all leads to people wanting to share me, and then I have to beat them up. And then I get in trouble some more."

"Don't worry, I don't like to share." Bond hummed. "You wouldn't have to beat them up, one look from me and they'd run for the hills."

"Hmmm, I suppose that way I can keep my fragile persona going, rather than letting them know I have a black belt," Gabriel winked. "Although M already knows. God, I forgot how bright the city is at night." London on the horizon shone like a jewel, and by the full moon it was like a black and white poster.

"I just hope that it's still shining as brightly after all this." Bond nodded, glad to see the city again. "Just remember, though, you might have a black belt, but anybody dumb enough to proposition you will most likely be an agent, and that lot don't take all that kindly to somebody swinging at them." It wasn't a threat, so much as a careful warning. No agent would mean to hurt Gabriel, but trained to react to violence a specific way, a swing from Gabriel might produce a less than favourable outcome.

"I can dodge a punch as well as throw one," Gabriel smiled. "And the last person that pinched my ass got broken fingers for their trouble. It's why I stopped going out alone."

"Still, do try and remember that you're working with men and women who are allowed to kill in cold blood." James didn't want to think of the possibility of an agent making a pass and Gabriel retaliating, it wouldn't do anything for either party involved. "I know you can take care of yourself, but we're hardwired attack dogs."

"I used to live with someone like that, James," he said softly,. "I know how to read people's moods fairly well, and deflect aggression. And I'm quite capable of being professional. You don't have to worry about me."


	12. Chapter 12

"Yes, sorry." It was hard to remind himself that he didn't have to hover and protect Gabriel from every small thing that could go wrong. "I'm being overprotective, not really the best start is it?" He chuckled as they moved into the heart of the city, Bond finally obeying most of the road rules for sake of convenience. "I'll try and tone it down a little."

"It's alright, I like it," Gabriel smiled. "The more over-protective you are, the lass I have to worry. It all works out for me."

"I feel like you won't say that when I'm hovering over your shoulder." Bond offered with a chuckle. "There it is," Pointing across the bridge to the MI6 building, happy to be back home. "Though I suppose you've already seen it before if you were offered a job, so some of the wonder is lost."

"Only a little," Gabriel stared. "Silva didn't like me being out in public, he didn't trust me to stay put. He was always convinced I would run."

"See, I trust you, it's everybody else that I have trouble trusting." Bond explained. "If you want to leave, you don't have to run away.'

"For the first time in my life, I'm perfectly happy with the place and the company," Gabriel pulled out his ID for the parking guard. "So we have safe houses to stay at?"

Flashing his own ID lazily, Bond nodded. "I don't really want to stay in one of them until they've been cleared though. If Silva found my house, I want to make sure he hasn't found my safe houses as well." Pulling into his parking bay, James yawned, dragging himself out of the car. "And first we'll have to meet with M, most likely. Or, if we're unlucky we might have to speak to Mallory."

"Whatever keeps us safe," Gabriel unfolded out of the car and his back popped in a noisy protest. He grabbed the messenger bag and stack of notes, and checked all of his pockets with a frown. "Right, we threw the phones out. Fuck, I guess I'm more tired than I thought."

"We'll get in, debrief and then get some sleep." Bond motioned to lead the way, wrapping an arm around Gabriel's waist. "In fact, I'm half inclined to skip the debriefing and just sneak into a room to sleep."

"Let's get it over with, so we don't have to set an alarm," Gabriel suggested with a yawn. "They'll know we're here and come looking for us anyway. Do I look okay?" He frowned at his reflection in the shiny elevator door and tried pointlessly to smooth his hair. He settled for rubbing a shirt sleeve across the collar tags to shine them, and settled in against James's side.

"I'm sure you'll be forgiven for looking a little tired." Bond pushed hair from Gabriel's face before running a hand through his own hair. "And I really don't mind causing a fuss if it means I get to go to sleep a little earlier."

"Be good," Gabriel scolded. "You can sleep and I'll keep watch, you did all the driving. Oh! Hello, Mrs. Mansfield," Gabriel nearly ran into M as the elevator doors opened.

Grumbling, Bond gave a polite 'ma'am' and a nod, wishing that he'd been able to avoid anything official for long enough to at least get in a nap, not overly feeling like answering any questions when he'd just driven so far. "007 reporting in, traffic was good, lucky us. Found a nice little rest stop too." He offered, the cheek and want to leave obvious in his voice.

"Welcome back, Mr. Shaw," M raised her eyebrows. "007, back from the dead so soon? We should have Eve shoot you off a train more often, you look incredibly well rested."

"I'd really rather she not make a habit of shooting me, but if you find it an efficient way of resting me, sure."

"Is that-oh my god, the scar on your shoulder?" Gabriel covered his mouth with his hand, feeling faint. "Well I must say, nowhere more discreet to recuperate than a pleasure house," Gabriel nodded at M. "Is there somewhere private we can talk? We had to throw out our cell phones after Alec called and said the flat had been set on fire, and there was a countdown timer somewhere."

"I wouldn't worry too much Gabriel, it's not the first time I've been shot. The fall off the train was worse than the bullet." Bond assured, before making towards M's office, in no real mood to drag the small talk out, ready to get down to business so that he could get down to napping. "You're office, I assume, ma'am"

"Yes, let's get this unpleasantness over with," M poured 3 glasses of cognac. "My apologies, does your sub drink, 007?"

"Ask him yourself." Bond shrugged, taking his glass, making light work of drinking it. "I'd say after that drive, yes, he'd like one."

"Yes, thank you," Gabriel sighed. "I forgot how much i disliked certain aspects of being a sub," he murmured to James.

"Don't worry, I'll only expect them in formal situations, keeping up appearances and all that." Bond considered another glass, though doubted he'd get it from M given his track record with drinking.  
"There's nothing to report, by the way." He turned to M. "Not from our end. Apart from the calls we received from MI6, there was little to suggest any foul play at all."

"I do think there's cause for concern, however, if I might speak?" Gabriel fingered the collar nervously. There still were no tags on it, and he wasn't sure that people in Headquarters would be respectful if they didn't know who a collared slave belonged to.

Nodding, M turned her attention to Gabriel. "You may. I've often found that in times of national security it's better to let all speak freely, then to stick to social conventions, Mr. Shaw."

"Thank you," Gabriel let out a sigh of relief. "I paid careful attention to the systems that Silva was designing and infiltrating. There is of course the possibility that he's upgraded significantly or changed his focus since I've been gone, but this is what I can remember from memory. I didn't want to give him the clue that i was keeping track by leaving notes around."

"Any information on his movements or actions even before now are useful." M nodded. "It's certainly better than nothing."  
"Can the recording of such wait until tomorrow though?" Bond rose an eyebrow. "I'm rather tired, ma'am."

"Here are my notes," Gabriel fished out the loose sheaf of papers from his messenger bag. "If you would notate where you need an explanation and perhaps I could use the restroom?"

Taking the notes from Gabriel, M scanned over them, letting nothing show on her face. "Leave these with me tonight and we can discuss them tomorrow." Nodding further, she gestured out the office. "Third door on the left, Mr. Shaw."

"Thank you," Gabriel gave a tired smile. He was back in a minute, not wanting to wander the building without James. "Where will we sleep?"

"There are rooms on the floor above us set up so that anybody who needs to stay in MI6 for whatever reason can." Bond explained, standing back up. "We'll stay in one of those."

"And you'll be nearby?" Gabriel checked nervously.

"We'll be in the same room, Sweet. They provide double rooms as well as singles." Bond smiled. "No cause for worry."

"Oh, ok," Gabriel visibly relaxed. "Will we get a shower? Oh god, I suppose it is day," Gabriel looked out the window.

"We can use the showers down in the gym." James rested a reassuring hand on Gabriel's shoulder. "And then sleep an entire day, I feel."

"Yes, please," Gabriel followed him woodenly, drained now that the adrenaline was over. A hot shower and he was curled against James's chest, a protective arm wrapped around him.  
"Don't wake them," Gabriel froze at the woman's voice, not daring to open his eyes. He couldn't remember closing them, but the cream of the opening door had shocked him awake.  
"Come on, Eve, you're no fun," the male retorted. "He brought back a fucking courtesan, I want to see."

Letting out an unimpressed huff, James rolled, still half asleep, wrapping an arm around Gabriel, pulling him back closer. "Just ignore them" He muttered, voice rough with sleep. "They'll go away, Eve won't let him bother us."

"He's a little thing!" Gabriel sighed at the Russian accent. "Is he a toy?"  
"Can hear you mate," Gabriel sat up, hair tussled. "You must be Alec, yeah? James said your cock is smaller than your brain, but I don't think that's possible."  
"Oh, I like him!" A bright smile appeared over Alec's shoulder before he could find a suitable retort. "Hello, I'm Eve. Should I just skip Gabriel and call you Q?"  
"But he still has spots!" Alec protested loudly.  
"Spots I don't, but a collar I do," Gabriel gave his most impish wink at Eve and hopped off the bed. "Is there food? I really could commit murder for some loose leaf earl grey. James, I want sushi!" He declared, poking at Bond. "I'll even be the tray."

Groaning further, Bond pulled the covers further over his head, in no mood to deal with Alec and Eve poking at Gabriel so soon after he'd been woken up. For most part at least, it was good to see that Gabriel was verbally sparring with Alec rather than the two turning on each other for the time being.  
"Sushi sounds wonderful," He mumbled, face still buried into his pillow. "Why don't you go and fetch us some Alec? From Japan, where my room is not. I'd like to go back to sleep."

"But lover, I want breakfast," Gabriel pouted prettily, bottom lip out. He scooted back under the covers, confident James would be much more receptive to waking up to a kiss. "Or I could just eat you," he murmured, nuzzling against James and covered both their heads.  
"Come on Alec, let them be. I'll bring you a tray, Gabriel," Eve sang out, slamming the door shut behind her.

"I'm going to kick him square up the ass, later." Bond hummed, happy at least to be left in peace, nipping at Gabriel's collar bone. "One of the downsides to sleeping at MI6 is that your work colleagues can come and pester you whenever they feel like it."

"I see that," Gabriel groaned against Bond's mouth. "You've got me hard already, damn you," the protest was halfhearted at best. "Baby, I want you."

"Hard and I didn't even have to do a thing." Bond chuckled. "I'm starting to think that there's a bit of a succubus in you, Sweet. It's like you feed off sex, I swear." It wasn't a protest to the idea of wake up sex at all, Bond rolling the two of them over so that he was above Gabriel, continuing his light, lazy kisses over the other man's neck. "You'll run me dry, you know."

"More like you're an aphrodisiac," Gabriel panted at the brush of their hard ons together.  
"Oh god, that's the hottest thing-"the door ricocheted off the wall as Eve slammed it open, hands full with a tray of food. "Tell me there's a camera in here."  
Gabriel just buried his face in James's neck with a groan.

"Moneypenny, have you never heard of knocking before entering?" Bond sighed, turning around to face her, not making any move to actually remove himself from above Gabriel. "Oh well, at least it was you and not Alec," He turned back around to Gabriel, giving him a small kiss on the forehead. "Come-on, Sweet. We should eat before any real physical exercise." His voice was low, only for Gabriel to hear, still keeping him blocked from Eve's vision if only to spare Gabriel some of his dignity.  
"Leave it on the desk, if you will, Eve."

"Oh, that's what he sees in him," Alec sighed. "Look at that arse, I could eat him."  
"Go, Alec, now!" Eve locked the door behind her.  
"Five more minutes?" Gabriel begged with a thrust of hips. "I'm so close."

Pointedly ignoring Alec, not giving him the joy of getting a rise out of James, the agent shook his head, instead turning his attention back to Gabriel.  
"How could I say no to you?"

"We do need to get a tag for my collar though." He pressed his hips up against James and rutted against him with an moan.

"That's easy enough in London." James nodded, moving a hand down to gently stroke at Gabriel's cock.

Gabriel tilted his head back, giving James access to his throat. He pulled James down against him, reaching for James's cock.

Letting out a pleased growl, James moved his head down, more than happy to bite at what parts of Gabriel's neck he could reach around the collar, moving his hand in slow rhythmic strokes, panting lightly against the other man.

Gabriel teased his fingertips back and forth across the slit of James's cock, a few moans escaping him at the teeth on his throat. It didn't take more than a minute to have him pleading, and he sped up the pace of his hand to make James come with him.

Jerking his hips with Gabriel's movements, James moved away from his neck to whisper in his ear instead, barely able to focus.  
"Come for me, Sweet, show me how much you love it, go on."

All it took was the honeyed voice in his ear to make him come, with a cry of relief. He tugged at James, licking at the pulse point in his throat to muffle the panting.

James came shortly after, his arm buckling slightly with the pleasure, half falling to land on the other man, pushing himself to the side so that he wouldn't squash Gabriel under his weight. "A much better wake up then Alec's voice, that's for sure."

"I'll find better ways, once we aren't here," Gabriel promised. He pulled James's hand to his mouth and sucked the tip of each finger. "Let me grab a towel from the bathroom and clean you up."

"I'm sure you will. It'll be easier when we're not worrying about people butting in, that's for sure." Bond sat up, stretching. "I'll make sure I lock the door next time."

"I hope we don't have to be here long," Gabriel stood and stretched. He came back from the tiny wash room with a wet cloth and handed it to James. "You have a tub at your place, yeah? That sounds so good right about now- wait. That's it."

"I can't see it being any longer than one more night, if everything is clear we'll be able to go today, not that either of us will be spending too much time at home..." Cleaning himself off, he glanced up at Gabriel, raising an eyebrow. "What's it?"

"The last place they would expect us to go is back to your apartment. So what is the obvious place? What do you own that is in your legal name? I would assume all your safe houses are under aliases. Is there a family home?"

"There's a family home, but I haven't been there in a very long time." James stood, moving to redress. "I doubt that Silva would find us out there."

"But he also doesn't know we're back in London yet, we got rid of the trackers in the phone," Gabriel was pulling on clothes, thinking out loud. "You can send a team out there to fortify the location, and then lead Silva there. He will think you're escaping, and you will be leading him right into their hands."

 

"It seems risky." Bond paused, thinking it over. "I don't know if I like the idea of you being there with me if we're going to lead him into a trap, I don't want you getting hurt."

"I trust you to keep me safe, but if you want me to stay and run things from here, I can do that as well. I'm about the only person that can out-maneuver him on the computer," Gabriel sighed. "The programming tricks he uses, I invented them."

"I'd prefer you to stay in the safety of MI6." Bond nodded. "Skyfall isn't exactly a place where there's a decent WiFi connection for you to work with, and it's hardly fortified."

"As long as you'll be careful," Gabriel's voice was thick with emotion. "I will do whatever I can. But I won't give you an exploding pen unless you come back in one piece." He lifted a plate with fruit and toast and dug in hungrily.

"I always come back, Gabriel." James promised, moving over to the plate of sushi instead, not taking too much of an interest in the fruit, hungry for something a little more substantial. "Don't you worry about that. You worry about keeping yourself out of danger."

"They really have sushi in the cafeteria here," Gabriel stole a piece and bit into the salmon happily. "I'll do the best I can to keep both of us safe, James. I promise." He sipped a mug of tea and sighed. "Eve is amazing. Can I keep her?"

"Eve isn't a woman easily kept." Bond laughed. "You two will get along well, and I'm sure that she'll be able to keep you out of Alec's hands, I'm sure he'll make more than one pass at you for a laugh."

"Oh no, not like that," Gabriel protested, pulling on his shoes. "I would have no idea what to do with a kept woman, thank you very much. I'm a far better house husband. Alright, so do we talk to M first?"

Laughing, the sound low and hearty, Bond shook his head. "I knew what you meant, Sweet. The look on your face, my God." fixing his hair and then turning his attention to Gabriel's unruly mop, he nodded. "I'm sure she'll want to speak to us again, yes."

"Is it-?" Gabriel paused. "I'm trying to think of the right word. Is it satisfying, being with a woman? I mean, clearly it isn't for me. But you, you can switch back and forth? That must be nice."

"Switch back and forth?" Bond grinned. "Sex is wonderful no matter who it's with, I think the reward of it comes down to who I'm with and how little it has to do with my work, not what gender my partner is."

Gabriel puzzled at that, turning it over in his mind. Finally he shrugged and picked up the tray of dirty dishes. "Not much of a fan of girls, but to each their own," he said.

"Don't think too deeply on it." Bond opened the door for Gabriel, holding it so that he could go past with the tray. "Sex is sex is sex."

"Not with a female!" Gabriel wiped his mouth before stealing a kiss from James.

"I didn't know you were quite so opposed." Bond returned the kiss, moving to lock the room behind them. "I'll keep it in mind to never grow a vagina."

"It's not that I'm opposed, its just not enough," Gabriel fondled him through the suit. "You should invite Alec and Eve for sushi though, those looks were priceless."

"I don't think Alec would know how to keep his hands to himself." Bond hummed. "Eve would certainly get a kick out of it though."

"Alec seemed like fun," Gabriel shrugged. "There was nothing menacing about it. It was more like a big brother type of thing. Eve looks awesome too though, I don't think I have to worry while they are around."

"So long as Alec stays in check." Bond laughed, moving through to Moneypenny's office. "Is M in yet, Eve? Now that we're up, I'm ready for company, but unlike you and Alec, I'm going to knock."

"You did well, James, he's wonderful," Eve smiled. "Gabriel, we need to get you a new phone. Actually, I'll handle that for both of you while you're meeting with M. We're having a pub night, and I'm not taking no for an answer!"

"A pub night right in the middle of all this?" Bond rose an eyebrow, looking over to Gabriel. "We'll see, I suppose."

"After! Not tonight! I'll let you get settled in back in London, and I do unpack well if you need help?" Eve offered. "We're very lucky to have you here, I've been hearing about your computer exploits around here for years."

"Years? You're a real legend then, Gabriel." Ignoring the other offers from Eve, Bond excused them to head into M's office. He wanted this business with silva over.

"I'm rather well known in the hacking world, I'm sure M will tell you," Gabriel sighed. "Good morning, M. I was just telling Bond that I have something of a reputation in the hacking world."

"Luckily, it's a good reputation, unlike Silva." M nodded, indicating for the two men to sit down. "You'll make a fine addition to Q branch, and I think that if you're willing for the position, you'd make an even better addition as Quartermaster."

"James?" Gabriel asked softly, fingering the collar.

"Do you want the position?" James wouldn't force Gabriel into this life, but he wouldn't hold him back from it either. "I won't stop you from taking the job, Gabriel, just know that there's a lot of things you'll see that you may not want to."

"I'd like to, if that's alright?" Gabriel said. "I think I'd be good at it, I know how to get into places that no one else might. I invented a lot of these fool proof systems, and there's always a back door to them."

"It's perfectly fine with me." James nodded, giving Gabriel a reassuring smile.  
"I'd have some choice words for you if you weren't, 007. I've already watched him walk away from this job once, I'm not in the mood to do it again." M scolded. "I'm sure that once we're done here Bond can show you down to Q branch and get you acquainted with the area."

"With all due respect, M, James has been more than kind about allowing me to make my own decisions. If he had reservations about me taking the job, I trust him to make his opinion known. He's been giving me a lot of lead way, and has yet to say no. I do expect it will come at some point though, probably where Alec and Eve are concerned," Gabriel let out a small laugh.

"I don't think I've ever heard Bond say no to 006, he's normally encouraging him." The stern look directed at Bond was blown off with a lazy side glance on the man's behalf.  
"Yes well, luckily we're not talking about him at the moment, we're talking about Gabriel and his new work. Did you read over the files, ma'am?"  
"I did, from what I could tell, we'll have our work cut out for us, but it shouldn't be too hard to track Silva down and put an end to whatever he's planning."

"I explained to James some ideas that I have," Gabriel proceeded to outline what he and Bond had talked about. "I am looking forward to meeting the team from Q Branch, although are you sure they will accept me as Quartermaster? I'm young, and... well, I need them to follow precise instructions for this, to keep James safe."

"Having the respect of one of the more unruly double O's will help you in that regard." M turned to a small box on her desk, pulling out an Identification card, handing it over. "This will grant you clearance into all areas you'll need to access throughout the building" She explained, handing it over. "And I wouldn't worry about your age, Q branch has younger members as well as older ones, you'll be fine."

"Can you send someone to guard my aunt, if it's not too much trouble? I don't know that Silva would go after her, but I think since he's lost track of me, he's going to be out for blood, and he knows that's my one soft spot?" Gabriel said thoughtfully. "Eve said she was taking care of cell phones, and I have my laptop in my bag. I don't know what sort of systems you are running, but my computer can top them. I'm hoping to at least upload the software to the system here, if not upgrade the computers as well."

"I'll have it arranged now," M took note, scribbling it down to be dealt with later. "You already seem to have an idea of what you'd like to do down in Q branch, so I suppose I should let you get straight to it, Quartermaster." she nodded. "Tell me as soon as you find Silva."

"Yes, Ma'am. James, will you show me where Q branch is?" Gabriel left the office, only to be handed two cell phones by Eve. "Thank you, Eve. Now, tell me what I need to know? James said I would figure it all out, but I'm sure there are people who know how to get things done?"

"You'll want to speak to R down in Q branch, she'll fill you in with all the juicy gossip." Eve leant over her desk, more than happy for a chat with the new Quartermaster. "I'd say that most of Q branch will just be happy to have a Quartermaster again, so you shouldn't have too much trouble."

"Well let's go take over the world," Gabriel smiled. "Your number is in here, Eve?" He held up the phone.  
"Of course, I'll bring food in a few hours, and I took the liberty of leaving some of that earl grey on your desk," she smiled. "Welcome to Six, Quartermaster."

Leading Gabriel down to Q branch, James slid his new phone into his pocket, for the most part ignoring the device. "I think you're going to enjoy it in here," He smiled, using his own ID card to open the doors to the branch, holding the door open for Gabriel to enter. "As much tech as you like and it's all yours to play with. Of course, there are certain rules, like you're not allowed to sleep in your office because I won't have you actually living in here." He added. "I won't restrict you or keep you from work, but I will enforce that one rule."

"I've lost enough hours of my life sleeping in computer labs James, I have no intention of wasting my night with you," Gabriel leaned up and kissed his cheek, and walked into Q Branch. "Hi everyone, I'm Gabe. I've been told I'm the new Quartermaster."

"I'd much rather you lose sleep with me, than with a computer." James stepped back, letting Gabriel announce himself to Q branch, proud of the other man.  
The announcement for the most part stopped most people in their tracks for a few seconds, people looking up to see just who this new Quartermaster of theirs was before a few stood and clapped to show their respect. They had already been warned by M not to say anything about the new Q's age, and weren't daft enough to press an issue that might cause them their jobs.  
R, on the other hand, zesty and eager to meet her new boss, was straight to the point, a wide, welcoming smile on her face. "Look at you, you're so cute. You've still got your baby fat. I suppose it helps balance out 007s old man face." She gushed, walking over to shake Gabriel's hand. "I'm R, pleasure to meet you, Q."


	13. Chapter 13

"Nice to meet you," Gabriel grinned. "Some of you might know me by my hacking name, Samurai. I'm going to need your help. I'm sure some of you are also familiar with Bushido. His other names are Raoul Silva, and the name he went by when he worked here at Six, Tiago Rodriguez. He's decided that he wants Bond's head on a platter, and I'm not sure if it's because he's collared me, or just because he wants me back. Either way, I can't keep Bond safe on my own. I need extra hands and brains."

There were more murmurs from Q branch, before people turned back to their computers, returning to work, those who could turn to the new project working to help Q.  
"You've got your own lab of minions here, Sweet, aren't you lucky?" Bond chuckled. "Should I leave you to it? I'm afraid I won't be much help with all your hacking. I use computers to send emails, not to track down cyber terrorists."

"No one can come in here, right?" Gabriel checked one last time. "I know they can't. It's so stupid. Right, I'm going to go track down Silva. Eve programmed my new number into your phone, let me know if you find anything, and I will as well. Be Safe, James?" Gabriel kissed him and followed R of to what would be his computer.

"Safe is my middle name." Bond assured, turning and leaving Q branch, moving to his own work.  
"This is your set up." R indicated to the computer in the central area of the branch. "Obviously you're allowed to do whatever you'd like to the area, this is just the basic setup." She turned to him, glancing over her shoulder at the leaving 007, before moving closer. "How'd you manage to bag him? There must be a dozen people in Q branch alone who have been trying to get his attention for years."

"He, um... I was chosen as the Courtesan, at Bella Nascosta. They assigned him to me," Gabriel blushed. "It wasn't anything that I did, I was only supposed to train him to be a Dom. I hadn't really considered wearing another collar. It works well though. He needs someone to ground him, and I need someone to look after me and protect me. And I couldn't ask for a better lover, or someone to treat me better. Although it's still very new, I haven't even seen where we'll be living yet," Gabriel took his laptop out of the messenger bag and plugged it into his new desktop. "I have some software on here you may recognize as being expansions of the theoretical prototypes going around right now. They are completely safe, I wrote them myself. So if anyone would like copies, let me know."

"It was really that easy? You know, you do kind of look like his type. Not to be rude of course." R watching Q, nodding away happily. "I'd love to get my hands on some of that. Q branch is constantly being updated, I don't think anybody would complain if you offered them some state of the art programming. They'd probably offer their first born's to you." She laughed.

"Well my next goal is to get us equipment that will make the most of these programs," Gabriel grinned. "Let's impress them on this one, and I think we can build our own. And yes, well... I don't know much about James's previous lovers at all. But I would really like to keep him happy, so if you know any secrets?"

"Many hands make light work, we're all here as a team to help." R nodded enthusiastically. "It'll be good to have a proper Quartermaster again."  
"Secrets?" She shook her head. "James has a good poker face, he keeps all his cards close to his chest. Don't follow him into the line of fire, really. That's all I can suggest. He throws himself into his work like it's the last mission he'll ever go on, every mission. If you could pull him back into line that'd be great and a lot cheaper for us. He's always breaking equipment."

"Well, for starters he'll have me in his ear from now on, so unless he wants to be sleeping on the floor, there will be none of that unneeded recklessness," Gabriel winked. "And please tell me there's a decent coffee machine and tea kettle here, or do I need to start there with supply requisitions?"

"He normally ditches the earpiece pretty fast." R admitted. "Even if you just got him to keep it in it'd do us all a huge favour." Nodding, she pointed to the far left of the branch. "Best coffee machine that the MI6 budget would allow. Plus a few improvements provided ever so kindly by our fellow workers."

"Does it make espresso?" Gabriel's eyes glinted wickedly. "After nine shots, I can code on two different computers, one with each hand."

"I don't think I can let you have that much caffeine." R laughed. "That's got to be bad for your health, Q. At that point you're more espresso than blood."

"Pfft..." Gabriel rolled his eyes. "That's what college is all about. Who needs sleep when there's sex and espresso? Uh oh... trouble incoming..." he motioned to Alec, who was letting himself into Q Branch.

"Quartermasters need sleep occasionally." R retorted, giving Q a small push before rolling her eyes, letting out a deep sigh. "I really wish that the double O's wouldn't poke about the branch when they're bored. Ten pound says that he's only here to bother you to get a rise out of you."

"Gabriel!" Alec yelled. "James told me there's some thingy you can do to make it so only I can shoot my gun? And besides, I'm here to make sure that no one steals you."

"Inside voice," R scolded, admittedly interested to hear about Q's alleged firearm upgrade. "You're not in the playground, so you don't have to shout."

"I told James that I think the Walthers are perfect for a palm print sensor on the grip. The hardware is so heavy that we could swap it out with an alloy, put in the sensor and a locator chip, and still lighten it considerably."

"So you'll make me one, right?" Alec leant on the desk, pushing the keyboard of the computer out of the way. "I'd like to volunteer as the test subject for that. It'd be handy to not be shot at with my own gun."

"After we find Silva, of course Alec," Gabriel grinned. "IF you can beat me at drinking espresso shots. And you still owe me sushi."

"Espresso shots should be easy enough to knock back, they're like less interesting vodka shots." Alec nodded, holding his hand out to seal the deal. "And I'll only bring you the sushi if you'll be the table. Don't think that I don't know what turns old James-y on. I know what sushi means in his books." He winked.

"You'll have to ask my Dom," Gabriel said demurely. "I'm not at liberty to offer my attentions, I serve at his will." He turned his back to Alec and winked at R. "So, how do you like subbing for Eve, Alec?"

"Subbing for- excuse you!" Alec protested. "Do I look like I get down on my knees often?!"

"I don't know, roll up your pants so I can see?" Gabriel whirled back around with a grin. "Go find something useful to do, 006. James already warned you off."

"How about I roll down your trousers so I can deal with that smart mouth of yours." Alec grumbled. "I was doing something useful, I was putting in a request for new equipment." 

Behind Q, R chuckled, doing her best to keep the sounds as quiet as possible. 

"You've gone and bruised his ego, Q."

"Trevelyan, I am quite sure you were not this familiar with the last Quartermaster," Gabriel's voice was harsh. "I will not allow it with me. It doesn't matter that I am your best friend's sub, it is entirely inappropriate that you are propositioning me in my work space. If you have a legitimate equipment request, I'm sure Tanner or M will get that to me. Otherwise, I am trying to keep your best friend alive."

"Geeze, no need to get your knickers in a twist." Alec rose his hands up in way of surrender, a gleeful smirk on his face. "I'll leave you to it, sushi boy." Giving a mock salute, he turned, leaving Q and R where they were, stopping only to terrorise one of the minions half way down the branch before leaving.  
"God, Double O's can be insufferable sometimes. You should tell M about that, get him an earload for talking to you like that."

"I definitely will," Gabriel frowned. "If we were in the middle of a mission we could have been distracted and compromised our agent. And I don't need James angry at me either. Alec needs to learn some boundaries. I'm starting to think he's jealous, not flirting."

"I don't think that 007 would blame you for that blockhead's actions. He's more reasonable than that." R turned her attention back to Qs laptop. "You're right though, Alec is probably just jealous. Or overprotective. He's got some choice words on Bond's last submissive. I suppose he just wants to make sure that won't happen again. But if that's the way he's going to do it, you can bet that his next gun will be backwards firing water pistol."

"Tell me about Bond's last submissive?" Gabriel asked quietly, heading for the tea kettle. "He wouldn't say much at all."

"I doubt he will." R replied, following along. "He was head over heals for Vesper. Adored her, was going to throw away being an agent completely to be with her. I even heard that he was going to make off with the money from the mission to elope."

"Wow, that's crazy," Gabriel whistled. "I can't imagine him doing something illegal. Against the rules yes. But against Queen and country? Not the James I know."

R shrugged. "It's what I heard. Like it said, he was madly in love with her. To be honest, nobody really expected him to settle down again after Vespers betrayal. You're nothing short of a miracle."

"Well it wasn't exactly an accident. Now that I've met M in person, I believe this was all her doing. James needed a reason to come home, and I needed a reason to come back to London," Gabriel admitted. "Silva was a really bad decision, and I needed rescuing."

"You both needed rescuing by the sounds of things." Pouring herself a cup of coffee, R sipped it gingerly. "I've done a little digging on Silva, he's pretty hard to track."

"I created the systems he's using, and I have the backdoor," Gabriel sighed happily as he strained the earl grey. "He doesn't even know they are there. What we are going to do is run his from the beginning, and mine from the end. They will line up and open like a zipper. The difference is that my computer has safeguards against."

"You're a clever one, Q." R nodded, impressed. "We'll make light work of tracking him down and then our good old 007 will no doubt finish the job."

"I'm a little worried," Gabriel confessed. "I know Bond is good at what he does, but Silva had 00 training. I think that James's best bet is going to be telling Silva that I double crossed him, playing on his sympathies. Silva gets irrational when he's angry, and he's furious that I got away from him."

"Have you suggested that to Bond? That might hit too close to home for him." R asked, Q's plan admittedly very good. "Even with his double O training, I'm sure Silva is no match for our James Bond."

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that," Gabriel admitted. "I don't want to remind him of Vesper, I'm already afraid I do because I've heard I look like her. I want him to be secure that I've chosen to be with him."

"You do kind of look like her, yeah." R modded. "I didn't want to say it out loud, didn't want to be offensive. I'm sure he can tell the difference, it might just be a little hard for him to work with that plan."

"It's alright, I know," Gabriel smiled sadly. "I'm just trying to give him some new memories that he can use to keep him going. I know how hard it is to move on after you've been double crossed."

"I'm sure you two will create plenty of new memories." R sat down at her desk, turning her attention to her computer. "Let's find this bastard, yeah? So you and 007 can get back to making memories and not repairing old wounds."

"Please," Gabriel smiled. "Ok, so what Silva doesn't know is that the programs I designed have trackers on them. So we can mirror what he's doing," he frowned. "Unplug your computers, NOW! He's trying to hack our mainframe."

There was panic throughout Q branch as people reached to unplug their computers, all trying to prevent Silva from finding a way in. "God, we didn't even have to go looking for him, he's right on our doorstep." R muttered. "Can you stop him, Q? This could be one of our only chances to locate him but if he get's in first...."

"I've got it, I can see where he is, but I'm not linked into the systems for Six yet," a few strokes of the keys, and Gabriel had it projecting onto the wall. "R, my cell phone is in my left cardigan jacket, I need James on speaker phone, get Eve and Alec down here. I also need M and Tanner. Shit... He's... this property where he is, it's listed to Richard Sterling. Isn't that James's alias?"

Q branch sprung into action, people moving to follow Q's orders, R reaching into his pocket to retrieve his phone and dial 007. "That's one of his safe houses, yes. It should have been safe from Silva, he shouldn't have been able to find it.."  
"Miss me already, Sweet?" The low, unbothered laugh of Bond greeted Q, as R held his phone up.  
"You're on loud speaker 007, there's been a breach, Silva is trying to get into our system."

"The flat near Camden road, the one under the name Starling, Silva is there," Gabriel was out of breath. "He's there and trying to hack into the main frame for Six. Is there anything there he would want, anything of value, or is he just trying to figure out where you stashed me?"

"There are a few weapons stashed in there but nothing of importance that I can think of." James replied, thinking it over. "I don't think there are any MI6 files there either. It should just look like a normal, slightly more secure apartment. I'm going to head there now."

"Be careful, please?" Gabriel wiped at his glasses. "And take Alec with you, he's being a pain in the arse."

"Careful is also my middle name." Bond assured. "Alec and I will make light work of this, don't worry about that. We might get to have that nice weekend to ourselves sooner than you thought."

"I'm looking forward to it, I'll bring the rope," Gabriel teased. "Now go shoot Silva for me-" the line was cut off with a loud explosion on Gabriel's computer screen, showing James's building exploding. "James!" he yelled, grabbing on to the edge of the desk.

"That was my house!" James growled back, furious. "I've got half a mind to show Silva what it's like to be blown up!"

"Oh thank god," Gabriel murmured. "I'll buy you one, I'll build you one. Fuck I'm just glad you're okay. We can live in your car for all I care," Gabriel knew he sounded hysterical, but he couldn't stop his hands from shaking and at least the rambling and embarrassment distracted him from the cold knot of fear in his belly.

"Shhh, Sweet. It takes a little more than an explosion to take this agent down." Bond hummed back. "Besides, I don't need you to build me a house, I have a couple more safe houses left."

"Try to keep one of them standing," Gabriel teased in relief. "I think I can track him by his cell, as long as the number is still the same. Yes. Okay, how visible can you be leaving? He is staying still about a block away on the left side of the street. Let me check the CCTV... oh. Tan sedan. if you send Alec around, maybe you can head him off?"

"I can be very visible, Q. I'll stick out like a sore, slightly bruised thumb. All the dust on me should help." Bond relayed the instructions to Alec briefly before returning to Q. "Which way, Quartermaster? Lead the way."

"If you and Alec can possibly arrive on both sides of the car at the same time, he won't be able to get away. I'd suggest staying on foot for Alec, and you can box him in with your car. I don't think he would recognize Alec?" Gabriel asked.

"Unless Alec and him are secretly working together, I doubt it." Bond joked, pausing briefly to rearrange, turning his car on. "Alright, you call the shots, and I'll box him in. Am I to kill on sight?"

"Yes, both of you, please," Gabriel's voice was shaky. "I'll deal with the guilt later. I have to keep reminding myself that the person I love didn't exist, he was all an act on Silva's part."

"Don't think on it too much, Sweet. Right, I can see the sedan and Alec. Moving in now."

"Keep me posted?" Gabriel was gripping the mug so hard R took it away from him. "What's that noise? Alec? James?"

"Nothing to worry about, Sweet. It looks like we're taking him in instead, M's orders, Alec just got the call." James was none to impressed with the order, but knew better than to go against what M ordered. "We're loading him up into the car now. It may be better for you to go somewhere else."

"I'll keep Q down here, you can bring Silva straight to holding," R broke in on the comm line. "Eve is on her way down here armed. Q won't be alone here in the building without an armed guard, per Tanner's orders. We are to take this as a bonafide threat."

"Understood. We'll be back at MI6 soon." James ended the call, glancing to his rear view mirror, watching the eerily calm Silva, Alec beside him making sure that he didn't try anything. "Aren't you lucky? Here I thought I was going to enjoy putting a bullet in your head." He muttered, pulling out and back onto the road, arriving at MI6 a short time later to a much approved small army of people there ready to detain Silva.

"We are going to go into the Quartermaster's office, and we are going to stay there until James comes to bring you home," Eve informed Gabriel, armed with a loaded weapon, and curry. "There's food waiting for all of you at the elevator, good work everyone. Thank you for working together."

James didn't waste a second of his time, waiting until he was sure that Silva was secure and not getting out any time fast, he made his way back to Q branch, covered in dirt and sweat, but in no real way hurt.  
"Ah, there you are." He smiled, calm expression on his face as he wound an arm around Q's waist, tugging him in closer, protectively. "Good work, Quartermaster, We got him,"

"I was scared," Gabriel admitted, pulling James down on the sofa next to him. "That explosion, I swore he got you." Eve handed James a container of curry. "Were you able to get your hands on his computer?"

"A little explosion never hurt me." Bond chuckled, taking the curry with a small nod. "We took everything that was in the car with him, I bought the computer down for you, left it on your desk."

"Will you get it, Eve?" Gabriel asked, secure in James's arms. "There's something bothering me about this, it was all too easy."

"Maybe I'm just good at my job." Bond laughed, eagerly digging into his meal. “He did blow up a building before we caught him.

"Still," Gabriel took the laptop from Eve and hooked it up to their internet. "I'm going to run the programs through a safeguard in the mainframe. We don't have my programs copied anywhere else."

Watching Gabriel as he worked, Bond nodded along. "Hopefully there's something on there that can help you work out what he's planning."

"This looks like a pattern.... I know this patterns," Gabriel was thinking out loud. "I have seen this grid somewhere. Fuck. I need more caffeine. Eve, can you ask R to make more espresso?"

"Looks like something out of a sci-fi to me." Bond commented absently as R moved to bring over a fresh cup of coffee, handing it over as she watched Q work. "Wow, that's so pretty interesting code there..."

"Does this look familiar to you, R?" Gabriel asked. He scooped the naan into the rice absently,, a bit of rice escaping down his shirt. "Wait... James, pull up the London tube map?"

Moving to beside Gabriel, working a little slower, James bought up the map as instructed, standing back to examine the two images. "Well then..."

"I don't drive, remember? I knew it was familiar from something," Gabriel spun several of the dials on screen. The screen flashed red, and then the office door slid open on its own. "Shit."

"What's going on?" Bond's hand moved towards his holster on instinct, turning to watch the door. "Gabriel?"

"I fucked up," Gabriel buried his head in his hands. "It was a setup. And I walked right into it. Unplug the main frame." He sprang back into action. "Who is with Silva right now?"

"He's down in the holding cells, there should be somebody down there watching him." James frowned. "Do I need to get myself down there?"

"Yes..." Gabriel looked up fearfully. "Eve will be here," he took a deep breath. "Please, shoot him this time."

"I'll make sure I put one right between his eyes." James promised, switching his comm back on, leaving promptly, making his way down to where they were holding Silva. "Have you got him out of the system yet, Q?"

"I think so, do you have a visual on him? I'm running my laptop off the hotspot from my new phone in case the network is still corrupted," Gabriel flashed through several programs, finally ending with the one that showed the CCTV on the outside perimeter of Six. "Fuck! He's in a car on the North side. James, head him off!"

"Goddamnit." Bond growled, taking off after Silva, climbing into his own car, speeding off . "Can you patch me through his location? I'll put it into my GPS"

"I think you can head him off," Gabriel checked the cctv. "Take the north parking garage exit, and I'll create a traffic jam so he can't move. He's driving a news station van. The trap is set at Skyfall, we weren't sure you would catch him in London. Can you lead him there and I'll meet you via helicopter."

"I'm sure I can get him there." Bond replied, pulling out as instructed, slowing traffic down to a halt. "If he rams my car though I'm going to shunt his car off a cliff."

"You can do whatever you like, after you shoot him," Gabriel demanded. "Tell me when you are in front of him and he sees you, and I'm going to give you a straight shot to the motorway."

"All right." Bond drove for another ten minutes before he was finally in front of Silva, watching his care in his mirror. "Okay, I'm in front of Silva. Lead the way, Q."

"Alright, point three kilometers on your left, and you are on your way," Gabriel checked the screens. "Come home safe, James. I'll be on comms."

Turning as instructed, Bond just hoped that Gabriel was safe where he was and that he wasn't being played by Silva. "I'm rather good at not dying, so I wouldn't worry too much, Sweet."

"I've got Alec and a sniper team in a helicopter, and Eve and I are going to follow as soon as he lands and confirms the ground is clear. Maybe you can talk M out of accompanying Alec? She seems rather determined."

"M's with Alec?" Bond frowned. "I don't like the sound of that, it seems far too dangerous." If Silva got a hold of M it would make it a lot harder for Bond to do his job properly.

"I'm too new for her to listen to me, I think it's playing right into his hands. She's the one he's been after all along. He only switched to you because somehow he found out that you have me," R tapped on his shoulder. "Shit, they just lifted off. Can you convince her to at least stay somewhere that can be securely guarded. I know she was an agent for years, but I don't want her trying to take on Silva alone."

"I won't let her, don't worry I'll keep Silva busy with me, even if it means antagonising him a little." Bond wouldn't let anything happen to the woman who had done so much for him. He cared about her as much as he cared about Gabriel and if anything were to happen to her, Bond wasn't sure what he would do with himself. "We're not too far from skyfall, hopefully I'll be able to deal with Silva before backup arrives."

"Alec and M are going to beat you though, they have the helicopter, shit. I'm going to have us in the air in the next fifteen minutes. The reports from Skyfall say that there are some small aircraft coming in from the north on the radar. I don't like it," Gabriel swore. "I'm going to bring in a RAF stealth drone to get us a better view."

"Aircraft? He couldn't have known that I'm heading to skyfall, surely..." Bond didn't like how quickly everything was coming undone. "Goddamnit, this isn't good."

"I don't like it, he must have a tap on someone. SHIT," Gabriel slammed his fist down. "M's phone. R, call Alec, she needs to ditch the phone right now. He's tracing it. That's how he knew that Bond had me."

R sprung into action, opening a line through to Alec in record time, near shouting the order down the phone, panic evident on her face. "Q, who is this man?"

“I don’t know, but we’re going to stop him, he’s much worse than he was,” Gabriel grabbed his bag. “I’ll have my ear piece, please do your best to bring us back,?” he asked. He took the stairs at a run and climbed into the helicopter, too worried about keeping track of James to let his fear of flying kick in.

By the time the helicopter landed, Alec was in view, with a gun in each hand. “Get in the chapel, knock twice. M is in there.”

Gabriel nodded, rubbing his head. The flight had made his ears pop, and he was trying to keep his balance. By the time he knocked and M let him in, he was exhausted. The trek across the boggy field had left him soaked, and he curled up on a bench for some sleep.

Pulling up, Bond could feel his heart racing, adrenaline getting him ready for the fight about to come. "Gabriel, if something goes wrong here and Silva escapes, I want you to get out of London. Go back to the pleasure house and hide there until it's safe." He left the 'if Silva kills me' out of the conversation, knowing that implying it was enough, not wanting to say it outright and cause more panic than was needed. "Your safety is more important than anything, as soon as you hear that the mission has failed, I want you to turn around and leave, I don't care if you're at the gates of Skyfall."

"I'm already here James, I'm in the chapel. I'd have to go through him to leave," Gabriel shivered. "I'm in here with Alec and M, and Alec has some insane firepower. Just stop him, please."


	14. Chapter 14

James felt a sick dread in him that he hadn't felt since watching Vesper slowly slip away from him, breaking into a sprint towards the chapel, Silva's name on his lips, loud and furious as James stepped back to make way for 007, ready to kill without hesitation, quick and swift and brutal in his missions execution. This was where it ended for Silva, a bullet in his head and no chance of harming Gabriel.

A figure sprinted for the chapel, and around to go in the back entrance. By the time Bond came in, Gabriel was backed against the wall, M standing in front of him. "You're going to have to go through me to get to him, Silva. Your argument is with me for allowing you to get caught for your double crossing treachery in Hong Kong." A gun was against M's head, and another pointed at Alec, whose weapon lay at his feet.

Raising his gun up, keeping it trained on Silva, Bond's eyes flicked between the three of his friends held captive by the madman. "It's over, Silva." He growled. "You've lost, lower your weapons and step away from M."

"Really, James? You're just going to do exactly as Mommy tells you? And what did she tell you about this pretty little whore, hmm? I bet you couldn't wait to tattoo your name on the Courtesan, and save him from the big bully who taught him everything useful he knows?" Silva taunted, not bothering to give Bond a glance. "I can shoot at least two of them before you shoot me."

Cocking the gun in hand, Bond took half a step towards Silva. "Don't you dare call him a whore, Silva, and don't you underestimate my trigger finger." Still, the threat was real enough and Bond knew that there was the very real possibility of somebody getting hurt if he didn't act accordingly. "It's over, you lost. You're a traitor and a bastard and I only know how to deal with those types in one way."

"Take the shot, 007," M commanded. "And don't miss."

Swallowing, Bond moved his eyes over to M, the gun still against her head. There was too great of a risk of her dying there, the idea making Bond hesitate, not wanting to see her die. "Ma'am." He nodded all the same, moving his finger to the trigger, ready to kill the bastard. looking to her for some sort of confirmation that she wasn't about to die in front of him.

"Did I really train you to second guess me?" M sneered. "Take the bloody shot," she goaded, pushing Gabriel to the side.

Shooting at Silva posed too much of a risk, but Bond /hadn't/ been trained to second guess M and the idea of missing an opportunity to kill him now and losing somebody was a strong enough idea to push James forward, walking forward until his own gun was pressed firmly to Silva's head. "Drop your weapon, Silva. Now."

Silva pulled the trigger and spun towards James, as M dropped. Alec caught her and Gabriel screamed, throwing himself flat on the floor. He was trying to reach Alec's weapon.

James felt his whole world crash to a halt, bile rising to his mouth before he managed to push it back down with a broken cry, shoving Silva back into the wall with force, abandoning his gun, now wanting to kill the man with his bare hands.

Gabriel fumbled, but managed to get the safety off and hit Silva in the stomach. That was enough to make him drop his own weapon.

Driving his fist into the wound a moment later, James continued to brutal assault, no longer content to just kill, Silva, wanting him to suffer. Silva would die, even if Bond stopped now, the shot his his stomach would make sure of that, but until that point, Bond wanted to make sure that Silva was in more pain than he ever had before, he wanted to make sure that Silva felt the same pain Bond was feeling now.

"James, stop!" Gabriel yelled. Alec was trying to staunch the flow of blood from M's wound, but her eyes were already closed. Alec had tears sliding out of his eyes and he was was mumbling in Russian.

James heard Gabriel, but couldn't make sense of the words, the idea of stopping now seemed as bad as the act that Silva had just committed. Only pulling back briefly to stare at the mangled man in his grip, before anger took over him again, renewing his assault.   
"He killed her!" He gave, as way of an excuse for what he was doing. "An eye for an eye, Gabriel."

"Alec needs you, James," Gabriel put a hand on his shoulder. There was the clattering of boots, and the reinforcements that had been inside the house came through the chapel door.

"I need to finish my mission, Gabriel." James turned to look at Gabriel, eyes red, his normal, composed nature gone, anger and defeat there in place. "I need to finish my mission."

"He's dead," Gabriel said, gun still in his hand. "Let's go into the house and get you-" there was a loud explosion outside that blew the door open. "What?"

Dropping Silva's body to the ground, it took Bond all of his strength to stay upright, his eyes moving to the door, numb and not quite registering the explosion. "It'd wager that there's no house there." He mumbled, eyes moving over to Alec clutching M's body. "I killed her..."

"You didn't kill her, you followed her order," Gabriel wrapped an arm around him. "She had to make the same call with you, to try to get that list of names back. I'm sorry I had to drag you into this."

Bond didn't expect Gabriel to understand, he was only trying to comfort James, and as much a James was trying to find some sort of comfort in the words, he couldn't. "The inevitability of the job." He offered instead. "I'm just glad it wasn't you." The words stung, it all stung. 'Take the bloody shot'. He hadn't even managed the shot, he'd failed his mission as far as he was concerned.

"He's dead, and that's all that matters," Gabriel told him. "Let's go get cleaned up, and go home. Please?"

Nodding, James bent down to pick up his gun, putting it back into his holster. "Alec, let's go." He didn't want to leave Alec there on his own .

"Help me carry her?" Alec asked. Gabriel nodded and handed over his coat to wrap her in. He was smaller than Alec by far, but could least carry her feet. He found tears running down his own cheeks. No one would mourn Silva, but orphans made the best agents, and she was the closest thing to a mother that Alec and James had in decades.

Helping carry her out, James tried to detach himself as much from the situation as possible, disconnecting from what had happened, from what his inability to pull the trigger had caused, locking those emotions away, never wanting to deal with them.  
The reinforcements made fast work of cleaning up after Bond and Alec, taking M's body, loading it into the helicopter to be transported back, Bond still pushing it all as far down as he could. He didn't want to feel anything, All he wanted was a bottle of whiskey, pain killers and a new mission to bury himself in.

Gabriel gave him space on the helicopter ride back. Now that he didn't have Silva to worry about, his own fear of flying came back with a vengeance. He distracted himself by typing the events on his phone, while the details were still fresh in his memory. Alec sat across from him, pale as a ghost. The tracks of tears had washed through the blood splatters, and he looked like an avenging demon. He glanced over at Bond, and then at Gabriel. "He'll need you," he said softly. "He got self destructive after he lost Vesper. Keep him safe, Gabriel? He's all I have left."  
Gabriel nodded, a shiver running through him. The helicopter that had been shot down by the RAF could have easily hit the chapel instead, but the Air Force pilots had made the decision to shoot it down as soon as the grenade launchers aboard appeared.

Bond couldn't take his eyes off M's body, staring dully at it, shut off from the rest of the world He was losing everything. First Vesper, now M, surely it was only a matter of time before he lost Alec and Gabriel too. He should have pulled the trigger when he was told to, should have put Silva down before he'd had the chance to kill M, before Bond had given him the chance.  
Reaching numbly to his side, James grasped onto Gabriel's thigh in an attempt to ground himself, to remind him that even if he'd failed completely, he'd still been able to protect Gabriel, that it hadn't all been for nothing.

"I'm right here," Gabriel squeezed his hand. "How about you and Alec and I break into the liquor cabinet and get shitfaced?"

"Sounds good." James nodded, still unable to look away from the body. Getting drunk enough to forget his own name was all he wanted right now. He wanted to forget it all, preferably forever. If he could manage it, James wouldn't be sober again.

Gabriel shivered again, cold in the air without his jacket, which still covered M. Alec noticed and out an arm around him. Alec's face was lined with grief, and he looked years older than the roguish blond who had teased about sushi that morning.

Seeing Gabriel shiver, finally looking away from the body, James shrugged his suit jacket off, bloody and ruined as it was, draping it around Gabriel. "I can't have you getting sick." It was meant as a joke, light hearted, but there wasn't enough left in Bond to sound anything but wrecked as he was.

Gabriel nodded, massaging at his temples. He needed painkillers badly, and sleep. The long hours waiting for James in the chapel had been stressful, jumping at every noise. M had told him about recruiting James and Alec straight out of the Royal Navy. Alec had shared how he had gotten his facial scars, the mission where he'd had to play a double agent and go into deep cover. And M had shared how James and Alec had pieced each other back together, Alec arriving shortly after Vesper's death.  
The landing of the helicopter shook Gabriel out of his thoughts, and he tried to find the energy to make it down to Q branch to find his bag.

As the helicopter landed, Bond pushed his emotions to the back of his mind, pulling the agent to the front instead, the emotion slipping under a well used mask. "Let's get inside and get your things." He instructed, climbing out of the helicopter first before helping both Gabriel and Alec out. "Luckily I still have a safe house standing, we can get some proper sleep tonight."

Gabriel was running on autopilot, and only nodded. He swallowed some painkillers from his messenger bag, and handed the bottle to Alec as well. "I can order food and groceries if you give me the address," He frowned and took his glasses off. The dried blood smeared on his sleeve, and he cringed.

Moving to scribble the address down on a piece of paper so that Gabriel could use it as he saw fit, James subconsciously thumbed at the butt of his handgun, still fully loaded, a heavy reminder of what he'd failed to do. "We'll have to get somebody to take us home, the Aston's still at what's left of Skyfall."

"Alec, can you get us a car and driver?" Gabriel asked wearily. He leaned against James, and checked to make sure that the safety was off the weapon. Alec nodded and made a call on his own cell.

In his state at the chapel, Bond hadn't bothered putting the safety back on, the thought still far from his mind as he continued to thumb at the weapon. "I don't want to be here all night, make sure they come sooner rather than later. I'd prefer to skip debriefing until tomorrow at least."

"They'll meet us at the front door," Alec held out his hand for James's weapon. At least take the bullets out, James. We're all far too jumpy right now, and the nightmares are going to be bad. I don't want you to shoot if one of us wakes up screaming."

"Sure, and if we're attacked I can fail to shoot anybody again." Bond grunted in return. "I'm not going to shoot one of you, don't make me out to be some traumatized agent who can't even have a gun."

"Gun, James," Alec ordered, sliding the bullets from his own weapon. "We're drinking and that doesn't mix, not tonight. This is already going to be hard enough, don't make me have to knock you out."

"I'm not removing my bullets from my gun." James growled. "I can handle both alcohol and a gun, I'm fine.

Alec sighed and smacked him on the temple with the gun, catching him as he fell. "Can you unload that, Gabriel? I'll carry him."

Nodding and unloading the gun, Gabriel set the bullets to the side before sliding the now empty gun back into the holster.

He managed to make it into the car before he collapsed against Alec's shoulder, James propped up against the door. "He's going to kill us when he wakes up," he sighed. "I hope you know how to deal with him."

"I can try." Gabriel nodded, moving to help Alec load James into the car. "What did you do when he lost Vesper?"

"We got really drunk, for a couple of weeks actually," Alec frowned. "I don't remember a whole lot of it, but there was a week on a nude beach in the South of France, and then we went hunting at Skyfall. Lots of liquor, lots of pretty girls, a few pretty boys..." Alec sighed. "Six years, well, they haven't been easy ones. James threw himself into the work, and I have had to reestablish a life for myself here again. I'm getting slower, and I know it. I don't want to admit it, but if I don't, it will kill me."

Groaning, groggily pushing a hand up on his temple, James grumbled. "What are you blabbering about now, Alec? Did you hit me?" His head felt like it had been rolled under a truck. "I suppose that means my gun is empty now.."

"Yes, your gun is empty, you stubborn arse," Alec sighed. "We're here," Alec opened the car door and helped him out. "God I want to crawl into a bottle of vodka and never come out. After a shower."

"While you're showering I'm going to start that drinking." Leading Alec and Gabriel into the safe house, James made straight for his alcohol cabinet, pulling himself out a bottle of whiskey. Not bothering with a glass -knowing that he'd be drinking too fast to need one- James opened the bottle up. He hesitated, knowing he shouldn't drink, knowing somewhere inside him that it wouldn't fix what had happened, before bitterly shrugging off the idea of ever becoming a recovered alcoholic, beginning his methodical necking of the bottle.

"Will he be alright after that knock on the head?" Gabriel asked, pulling the blood stained jacket off. "Go ahead and shower Alec, I'll wait. I want to check on him." The doorbell rang and Gabriel flinched before he remembered the food delivery.

At the doorbell, James froze himself, glancing over, training running through his head before rational thought as he moved over to the door to break the neck of whoever was there, surprise on his face when he found it was a grocery delivery, taking the food with a grunt before closing the door.  
"I suppose I should cook something for us to eat." He offered, dropping the groceries onto the kitchen bench, abandoning them to return to his bottle. "Anything you want in particular?"

"There's Chinese coming, pass the Scotch. I figured we'd be in no frame of mind to cook," Gabriel stared at the groceries, trying to make his limbs work. He leaned against James and took a swig scotch, swallowing down another two migraine pills.

"You know, painkillers and Alcohol are a terrible mix, right? Bond asked, taking the bottle back. "If you've got any more, I could use a couple."

"Migraine," Gabriel coughed, passing over the bottle. "I'm great until a crisis is over. Bed all weekend? Should I ask about Alec?"

James didn't really care what the pills did, so long as they worked to numb everything in the bottle, washing them down with more than enough whiskey. "I was planning on staying drunk all weekend, actually." They both knew already that hard alcohols and BDSM didn't mix. He was letting Gabriel down, but then again, he'd always been good at letting people down.   
"Planning on staying drunk for a while, actually."

"I mean is he... Are you planning on sharing me? He asked me to go take a shower and- I guess I don't know enough about how you two work," Gabriel collected the Chinese food as the bell rang again, glad to postpone the end of that particular train of thought.

"I don't really like sharing, Gabriel. I suppose I'd share with him, but I'd at least have the decency to ask you first." Suddenly, the one bottle really didn't seem enough for James. "I don't bring home collared submissive's so I can share them around."

"I just wasn't sure, he acted like you would," Gabriel relaxed. "He seemed to take it for granted. There's more scotch with the groceries. You ready for some food?"

"Well then he acted wrong, I'll kick him out if he becomes a problem." Bond glanced over to the groceries, liking the sound of more scotch than any food he might have been able to stomach. "I think I'll stick to my liquid diet."

"At least have some rice?" Gabriel led him to sit on the sofa and straddled his lap. "I'm glad you're safe." He took of his glasses and shed the dirty clothes, left in just his pants.

Pulling Gabriel in close, burying his face into the other man's neck, James let out a small, choked sob, clutching onto Gabriel as tightly as he was clutching onto his bottle of scotch.   
"I didn't protect you, Gabriel. You could have died, I almost lost you."

"I didn't though, we're here and Silva is dead. I'm sorry about M, I couldn't get to Alec's gun in time," Gabriel pressed a tearful kiss to his chest. "I tried. But I'm selfish, I'm glad it wasn't you."  
Alec came out of the bathroom, and walked past quietly. He got a container of food and vodka and returned to the bedroom, leaving them alone.

"I should have followed her orders." James muttered against Gabriel dismally. "If I had have- I should have just taken the bloody shot."

"You can't play that game, I know," Gabriel shook his head. "I wonder that about being collared by Silva all the time. We just keep going," he dug into the rice, and fed James a bite. "Can we lie down?"

James obliged, re-positioning the two of them, laying them down on the couch so that Bond provided a physical barrier between Gabriel and the rest of the world, keeping him safe. "I can't really drink from down here.."

"What if I distract you?" Gabriel bent to kiss him. "We can go in the other bedroom. I heard Alec take food and go to bed. We should shower at least."

"I don't need a shower." Bond assured, ignoring the blood on his person. "It probably would be a good idea if you got some sleep, we can move into the bedroom if you'd like."

"I need one, and I don't really want to be alone. Come with me please?" Gabriel asked, curling closer with a shiver.

"I'll stand in the bathroom if you really need me." Bond offered. "But I don't need a shower."

"You're covered in blood, it won't bring her back. I need you Sir, please."

"I'm aware that it won't bring her back." James bit back, pulling himself off the couch, holding a hand out to Gabriel. "Fine, let's go wash this muck off us then."

Gabriel was at a loss of what to do to help. His training as a courtesan didn't serve him here, it left him stripped down to the hurt and scars underneath.

"I'm sorry..." James knew that he'd been unnecessarily harsh, his own guilt and the alcohol drowning out what should have been rational thought. "Come-on, let's shower." It was softer, this time, less harsh, still slurred all the same.

Gabriel just nodded and followed him under the warm water. Considering that two hours ago he hadn't been sure he would live to see James again... he touched the tattoo that sat under the collar, the skin still dry and not yet healed.

"I promise now that Silva is gone, nobody will ever hurt you again." James hummed, abandoning the scotch bottle for a shampoo bottle, lathering it into Gabriel's mop of hair. "I won't let anybody else I care about die."

"Please don't," Gabriel leaned into his touch. I'm tired of hurting," he took the scotch and took another swallow. "Babe, I want you," pressed against James that close, the hot water finally washing away the chill that had settled into his bones, he wanted something to make him stop feeling numb.

The water at the bottom of their feet was red, mostly due to James' rather violent disposal of Silva, but slowly, surely as the water began to lose its colour, James began to regain his. "I'll keep you safe forever, Gabriel. I couldn't ask for anyone better than you."

"I don't want to only have you take care of me James, I want to do what I can. But nothing I learned taught me how to deal with this. Even watching Silva, with all his cruelty... I didn't care so much that he died. But M was willing to sacrifice herself to make sure that he did. Monday, I need to be back at Six. People like him, they need to be stopped. And if there's a way they can use my computer programs to do that, even better," he ran the soap over James's skin, leaning in to rinse his hair.

"You've got an iron resolve, Sweet," Bond chuckled. "Careful, they'll try and recruit you as a double O." Not that James would allow it. While he wouldn't control Gabriel's life in most area's, he refused to let him into a job so dangerous. "We'll work through it together, okay? Fix each other."

"Oh god no," Gabriel shuddered. "I don't think I could go out and choose to kill people. If I hadn't known how evil of a person he was, I don't think I could shot him even in defense. I don't know if we need fixing, do we? I just feel numb...." he stepped out of the shower, and leaned on the wall. "That was more scotch than I thought," he laughed.

"I like the idea of you as far away from the field as possible." Bond nodded, laughing a little himself, watching Gabriel lean on the wall for support. "I probably should have stopped you from drinking so much, though to be honest I'm probably going to drink a whole lot more, so I'm not going to be any state to stop anything."

"Or we could just have sex," Gabriel dissolved into a giggling pile of wet limbs on the floor. "Wow, the bed is so far. I might just stay here," he grabbed the empty bottle of scotch and frowned at it. "When did that happen?"

"I'll never object to sex." Bond hummed, leaning down to pull Gabriel back up, much more coordinated than the other man. "Somewhere between getting in and getting out of the shower, I suppose." He took the bottle, setting it away. "There's plenty more though, don't worry about that. I'm always well stocked."

Gabriel let himself be led to bed, and managed to find James's lips without too much effort. He ended up on James's lap again, enjoying the comfort of the warm arms around here. "You're like a bloody furnace," he breathed, leaning his head back to give James's wandering mouth access to his neck.

"I tend to run hot when I'm drunk." Bond offered as way of explanation. "Unless I'm getting a fever, but I doubt that." He swung them around so that he ended up on top of Gabriel, smirking some. "But really, we both know which of us is the hot one." It was a terrible line, Bond blamed the alcohol, but it's connotation was there all the same. "And you're all mine to stare at."  
"You can stare as much as you like, Sir," Gabriel rolled his hips. "I am wearing your collar, and I have no plan to change that." The leather lay against his throat like it had been designed just for him, the silver had a shine against his alabaster skin.

"I could stare for the rest of my life." James leant down, kissing over the collar, lazy, slow movements teasing Gabriel.

Gabriel shivered under him, a wave of warm arousal curling in his belly. "Please, please Sir. I want you to have me?" He spread his legs, a warm invitation for James to claim him.

James wanted to lose himself somewhere between the bottle of whiskey and Gabriel's body, clambering for the bedside drawer in his stupor, fishing out the lube. Part of him wanted to beg Gabriel for help, to pull him out of what would be a downward spiral, but James Bond was to proud for help. "Nothing rough," he promised instead. "I won't hurt you, Sweet."

"James, I know you're hurting, and I am too. I can't imagine how it feels for you," Gabriel whispered. "But how about we have sex and pick back up on the alcohol tomorrow? I want you, not you drunk."  
"I'm already, drunk Gabriel." James was letting Gabriel down, he knew, but he wanted to be able to forget the night. "Can't we have both?"

"Yes, I think I'm done with drinking though, I don't want to get sick," Gabriel said reluctantly. "It's just making me feel more emotional, and I'm already raw. I'll be here though, either way."

"I'm not going anywhere," James assured, "I won't leave your side, Sweet, but I'm drunk. I want to have sex, but I'm drunk. I don't want to drown you with me."

"You won't," Gabriel reached for him, hungry for a kiss. "Just don't let go."

In his drunken state, Bond took the request literally, moving to pull Gabriel in closer to him, keeping Gabriel safe with his body, regardless of the fact that there was no danger out there to harm them. "I love you, I won't ever let you go, Gabriel."

"Really?" There was a fierce hope that it wasn't just the wine talking. Gabriel clung to him, capturing his mouth.

"Really," James replied into the kiss, still clinging to Gabriel as if the other man were going to vanish the moment he loosened his grip.

"I'm not leaving James, I'm here for as long as you'll have me," he whispered, wrapping his arms around James's neck and burying his face in his skin.

"I want to have you forever, you filled that hole inside me back up." James had no idea if he was making sense through the alcohol, but he hoped that his desperate cling to Gabriel was enough to convey the message all the same. "All I want in my life is you."

Gabriel nodded, holding on to him. It was the first time someone had wanted him for himself.  
Slowly containing his sobs and outpour of emotion, James gave a small, forced chuckle. "This is the least sexy foreplay I've ever been involved in..."

"I don't see how being told I'm loved could be anything but sexy," Gabriel laughed, his own cheeks wet. "I love you, I'm IN love with you. It's amazing."

"I can't imagine me drunkenly crying on you is sexy though." Bond managed, shifting so that his weight was off Gabriel, still holding onto him all the same. "I certainly killed my libido."

"Really?" Gabriel bent to suck at his nipple. "So if I just swallowed your cock, you wouldn't be interested?"

"Certainly hope I am," Bond let out a small breath, closing his eyes. "You're very good with your mouth, I don't want to miss an opportunity."


	15. Chapter 15

Gabriel traced his tongue down James's belly, stopping to nip at the coarse hairs on his stomach. He swiped his lips over James's thigh and groaned as he sucked at the head of his cock, placing James's hands in his hair.

Groaning, Bond allowed to movement, sinking back into the bed, happy to lose himself in another way. Sex and alcohol, they really were the only ways he knew how to recover. "Such a perfect mouth, Sweet."

Gabriel just hummed softly, relishing the feeling of Bond relaxing under his hands. He took a deep breath and swallowed, deep throating his lover.

Making a low, appreciative sound, Bond's hands tightened in Gabriel's hair, not pushing or pulling him in any way just yet, simply curling fingers right around locks.

It was the salt that hit his tongue first, the taste of James like the waves on the sea after a storm. Gabriel ground his hips against the bed, trying to find some relief for his arousal.

"Open yourself up for me, Sweet." Bonds voice was low, needy, wanting every part of Gabriel at the same time. "Show me how good you are, how you can prepare yourself while still sucking me off."

Gabriel managed to fumble the cap off the lube and scissor a couple of fingers in to stretch himself. He tried to keep the up and down action, while he moaned against him.

"Just like that, that's it." Bond encouraged, not able to see from his angle, but feeling the motions, feeling Gabriel struggle to try and complete what he'd been told to do. "My perfect Submissive."

It was what he'd been waiting to hear for so long, and his eyes welled up with tears. He was glad James couldn't see, the tide of emotions overwhelming him. He finally looked up, feeling like he'd bared his soul along with stretching himself.

"Up here, Sweet." James let go of his hair, carefully guiding Gabriel up to a kiss, frowning at the tears. "Gabriel? Is everything okay? Do you want to stop?"

"No, no," Gabriel buried his face against James's chest. "I waited... I never thought someone would say that to me, and you said I love you, and now that... It's just been a really emotional day. Silva is gone, and you lost M, and, don't let me go, James, please."

"I won't ever let go." Bond promised, holding Gabriel in close, trying to prove as such. "You're stuck with me for good now, Sweet."

"Good," Gabriel sniffled a little. "Now take me, please?" he begged, just a little desperate.

Rolling them over, James was happy to oblige, reaching for the lube and making quick work of slicking himself up, pushing into Gabriel gently, both of them far too worn for anything rough tonight.

Gabriel sighed against his mouth, going lax in his arms. He's had this terror for hours that he would never experience this again, and to have James back inside him was the perfect way to soothe his fears. He wrapped his legs around James and pulled him in as close as he could, still a little fuzzy from the alcohol.

There was something familiar and safe in sex, even more so with somebody that James cared about, losing himself somewhere between the place where he ended and Gabriel begun, feeling the stress of the day falling off him with each gentle thrust.

He drifted, lost in the feeling of James wrapped around him, inside him. Time had stopped, it was just this moment, the pleasure, no hurry for completion. Gabriel caught James as he unwound, the careful touches returned with a soft kiss to his forehead, a gentle nip at his throat.  
James couldn't remember the last time he had 'made love' as it were, actually feeling properly emotionally connected to somebody, not afraid to bare himself openly to another. It was freeing, and in the fragility of the day, it was freeing as well, a reminder that not everything was lost just yet.

Gabriel could see the emotions drifting across his face, like clouds on a windy day across a spring sky. "James," he murmured, "look at me?"

Looking down at Gabriel, a small smile on his face, eyes locking onto the other man's eyes, James gave him a small kiss. "I'm alright, Sweet, everything's alright."

"I know, I just wanted to see your eyes," Gabriel managed a blush, and his his face against James's neck. "I like the way you look at me, like you are afraid I'll disappear. No one has ever looked at me like that."

"I don't know why anybody wouldn't give you their time. You're one of-" He stopped himself, still nowhere near ready to pour emotions out, drunk or not. "They're all idiots for not wanting you around them forever."

"You're the only one that thinks so," Gabriel said softly, his face lighting up. "Now stop thinking and take advantage of the fact I'm underneath you."

"I thought I already was?" Bond grinned, bucking hips forward to carry his point. "I'm not exactly playing golf here."

"But you're still thinking," Gabriel smiled. "So clearly I'm not doing my job. We can be serious when we're sober," he fingered the silver collar around his throat. "We have to find a jeweler to get tags tomorrow."

"I'm thinking about how gorgeous you are and how lucky I am to have you." Bond replied. "Isn't that supposed to be sexy?"

"Yes, I just don't want you thinking so hard that you decide you need more to drink. But that is incredibly sexy. It's incredible to be the center of someone's attention who could have anyone he wanted," Gabriel admitted. "I've been told you have quite the reputation at Six, apparently I got the prize.”

"I don't know if I'm the prize," Bond hummed, moving down to mouth around Gabriel's collar, still keeping with his steady pace. "I do have a reputation though, I've slept my way through human resources."

"You've certainly got more notches in your bedpost than I do," Gabriel laughed. "Now..." he rolled his hips, "Mmm, oh right there, please." He got James just where he he wanted him and then pushed back into the thrusts, sending James straight for his prostate.

Words lost to him as Gabriel re-positioned slightly, James was more than happy to oblige, finally picking up his lazy pace, growling happily. "Try and not be too loud, Alec might get jealous."

"Is that supposed to stop me? As long as he isn't joining, I'm more than happy to have him jealous," he laughed but latched his mouth on to James's skin.

"No, no joining." James assured, letting out a small moan, closing his eyes over. "You know, sex with you always seems better than other sex I've had."

"House trained courtesan? I'm surprised you haven't had others," Gabriel pulled back to look at him. "For me, you protected me, I'm safe with you. I can give just a little more of myself, than I was ever comfortable doing."

"I think it's more because you actually mean something to me rather than any training you've had." James offered quietly. "This isn't just sex for the sake of sex, it actually means something."

"Makes sense," Gabriel allowed, placing James's hand on his cock. "It does mean something, it means I'm safe, and wanted. And that I love you," he placed a sweet kiss on James's lips.

"And it means that I love you." Bond returned, teasing, light fingers on Gabriel's cock, smiling. "Hopefully for longer than my last attempt at something like this."

"Oh shut it, I'm not easily killed," Gabriel grinned, sighing at James's touch.

"I certainly hope not." Rolling his hips forward, James gave Gabriel's cock a slow, tug, setting a pace with his hand similar to that of his hips.

Gabriel arched into his touch, rolling his hips back against James. "Tell me when I should come?" He languidly stretched up for a kiss.

"Soon enough, Sweet." Bond nodded, "Right after me, you're not allowed to come before me."

Gabriel nodded, tracing his fingers over James's chest. James's fingers on his cock were perfect, the right amount of calloused pressure that he had to fight off his orgasm.

"That's it, Sweet, fight it back." Bond chuckled, drinking in the sight, moaning himself, thrusts becoming erratic as he drew closer to the edge.

"Well then, hurry up..." Gabriel teased, scratching down his back. "I'm close," one more roll of his hips and he bit at James's throat.

"I think you mean hurry up please, Sir." Bond chuckled, close himself, knowing that he wouldn't last much longer.

"Sir, please?" Gabriel managed, arching against Bond. "Please come so I can come for you?"

James growled, proud and more than happy to give Gabriel what he had asked for so very politely, Coming only a few short thrusts after, shuddering, his arms buckling slightly under the waves of pleasure, grinning.

Gabriel finally let himself come after, spilling into James's hand with a cry. He pulled James down onto him, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

"I'll keep you safe." The promise was murmured against skin, James panting heavily, sweat beading down his face. "Well done for holding on until you were allowed to come."

"Thank you, Sir," Gabriel picked up his shirt and wiped himself off, pulling the blankets around them both. "Can I get you anything?"

"A glass of scotch, if you would." James nodded, rolling so that Gabriel would be able to leave the bed without having to fight his way out from underneath him. "And perhaps a wash cloth so I can clean us both up properly."

"Of course," Gabriel stretched and stood, a pleasant ache in his muscles. "How about some food?" He came back with a wet flannel and a glass of iced Scotch, and handed it off to James, leaning back against his shoulders with a shiver.

"Food doesn't sound half bad, but I'd feel obliged to feed Alec, and I don't really want to disturb him. Have you ever tried waking a tired Russian?" Bond chuckled, taking the glass and cloth with a small nod, setting the glass down so that he could focus on cleaning Gabriel off. "Perhaps later."

"Alec went off with his food earlier while we were on the couch," Gabriel put his head against James neck and let himself be cleaned off. "I can wait to see Alec, thanks. Let me know if I should bring you something?" He sat on James's lap and fingered the tattoo that was peeling under the collar. "Will you put some oil on it for me? I don't want it to crack."

"I'll be fine for now. I'm glad that at least one of us was paying attention when he left." Bond hummed. "Of course I can, go and get the oil for me, Sweet."

He brought back the sweet almond oil from his bag and brought it to Bond, sitting in front of him. He wanted to purr at the touch, and arched his neck under Bond's nimble fingers.

Removing the collar so that he could tend to Gabriel, Bond sat it in front of them, allowing Gabriel to see it clearly before working oil into the skin with gentle touches. "Does the collar need to stay off for a bit?"

"Probably," Gabriel said reluctantly. "I don't like it being off though. But since we're staying put, I suppose it's alright."

"It'll be okay for an hour or so." James assured. "Better to have it off now and take care of the tattoo, yes?"

"Yes," Gabriel agreed. "Just, not outside?" He curled against James. "I think I'm ready to sleep," he murmured.

"I'm more than happy to stay in with you." Bond nodded, wrapping arms around Gabriel, settling down in the bed. "By the time we wake up, the collar will be ready to go back on."

Gabriel nodded sleepily. He smiled at James, tracing his fingers over his shoulders. He gave James a soft kiss and closed his eyes, safe to drift off.

James, tired from the day and his alcohol fell asleep soon after Gabriel had, however, not as peacefully as he would have liked. He dreamt of Silva's hands around Gabriel's waits, around Gabriel's bare neck, dreamt of Gabriel in M's position, shouting at him to take the shot. He dreamt of Silva putting a bullet in James, of Silva leaving with a screaming, frightened Gabriel in his hold. Of Silva forcibly removing Bonds name from the back of Gabriel's neck while James himself bled out uselessly on the floor of the chapel, screaming out hoarsely for another loved one he couldn't save. Screaming out as the chapel filled with water, as Vesper drowned out of reach, as Gabriel drowned with her. Bonds lungs were full of water and Gabriel was limp in his arms. Silva laughed at him from nowhere and everywhere as he tried desperately to revive Gabriel, still bleeding out and soaking wet on the chapel floor.  
Dead, lifeless eyes stared accusingly up at James as the realization that he couldn't save Gabriel ripped through him like another bullet, straight to the heart.   
'Why didn't you save me, Bond?' Gabriel, dead and gone asked so harshly, so betrayed by James. 'you said you'd protect me. Why did you lie?'  
James woke with a hoarse, ruined shout to the heavens, shaking violently, still cold through to the bone from the flooded chapel he had watched Gabriel drown in.

"Love, I'm here," Gabriel switched on the light and sat up. "Look at me, James, I didn't drown," he worried about the shouting that had woke him. James didn't open up while awake, but his dreams brought out his worst fears.  
"Can you sit up for me?" Gabriel checked. He wrapped the blanket around James's shoulders; he was shivering badly and Gabriel flinched.

James felt as if though he was soaked, still drowning somewhere in the back of his mind, barely registering the soft voice of Gabriel beside him or the blanket over his shoulders. It wasn't until he managed to force himself to look over to what he expected to be the drowned corpse of Gabriel that he even registered that he'd been dreaming, eyes meeting Gabriel's for a moment before turning away to stare at the middle ground between where he was and the bedroom door.

"James? I'm here, look at me," Gabriel put James's hand on his chest so he could feel his heartbeat. "I'm not going anywhere, and I'm not going to let you go. I'm yours."

James gave a nod, still not looking back at Gabriel, clenching and unclenching shaking hands to try and calm himself, to try and find some sort of resting place for his mind. "Just a dream." He murmured. "Just a dream, I know."

"So look at me?" Gabriel insisted softly. "You're still halfway there." He wove their fingers together, and pulled James closer.

Turning to face Gabriel felt like running a marathon, slowly but surely managing to turn his gaze back to Gabriel, letting out a small breath of relief, trying to force himself to recover. "I'm alright, Sweet. Just a- just a silly nightmare. I'm fine."

"Nightmares aren't silly," Gabriel pulled him closer. "I still have them about Silva. It's hard to believe I can stop watching my back."

"Nightmares for a double O agent are silly." Bond sighed, rubbing sleep and tears from his eyes. "I should be able to hold myself better than this."

"You're not on the clock, you're in bed," Gabriel said. "I'm already yours, I'm already impressed. I already love you, James."  
"I'm always on the clock." Bond turned, giving Gabriel a small, tight smile. "Still, it's nice to wake up screaming and have you beside me. Certainly better than normal."

"We're off for a long bank holiday weekend," Gabriel reminded. "As soon as we can figure out something to occupy Alec, we can even leave the bedroom." He kissed him softly, a tender brush of lips.

"If I tell Alec to leave, he'll leave. Don't worry about that." James nodded, running a thumb over Gabriel's face, cupping it in his rough hand. "I hate long weekends, they drive me mad."

"Really? After all that talk about a long weekend just for us, you're bored with me already?" Gabriel made a theatrical pout. "I suppose I'll have to spoil someone else then."

"I meant more the lack of work." Bond laughed, tugging Gabriel in closer. "Especially after nights like this. I don't rest well enough to be given leave."

"I was thinking of making you a full breakfast in the morning, pour you a bath, bring you coffee in bed, Sir," Gabriel purred.

"Can it be scotch in bed?" Bond asked weakly, running a hand through Gabriel's hair.

"Anything you like, as long as you eat with it," Gabriel said with a smile. He straddled James's lap and rubbed sensuously against him.

"I'm not really that hungry." James wasn't sure that he'd be able to keep anything down currently. "It wouldn't be the first time I'd only had a glass of scotch for breakfast."

"Well I'll be taking better care of you from now on," Gabriel assured him. "I'm going to make sure you have the energy to take care of me, and you've been neglecting yourself far too much before you collared me."

"You sound like M." James snorted, forgetting his pain for a blissful moment. "I've got plenty of energy to go around, don't you worry about that."

"But I'm here now, and I intend to see that you can keep up with me," Gabriel teased. "Besides, I like you next to me, I'm selfish as well. I'd like to keep you here."

"Well, it's not like I can go anywhere with you sitting on top of me anyway." Bond nodded. "So I guess I am stuck here."

"Is it so bad?" Gabriel asked thoughtfully. "What would you be doing, if I wasn't here?"

"Drinking still, possibly fighting with Alec to blow off some steam." James offered. "I'd be drinking, certainly."

"Should I leave you to it?" Gabriel asked hesitantly. "I don't want to stop you from being yourself."

"From drinking myself to a stupor so that I can barely remember my name, let alone what happened? Truth be told, it's probably better that you did stop me from doing it."

"I just don't want you to resent me," Gabriel offered. "I want to be what you need, but I'm not sure what that is."

"I don't know what I need, Gabriel. All I know is that normally I get as drunk as possible until I'm near in hospital and then have to prove to MI6 that I'm still capable of active service. My coping mechanism is somewhat self destructive." Bond placed a small kiss on Gabriel's forehead. "Don't worry too much about me, really."

"Of course I worry, I care about you. I've only just found you, and I'm not going to give you up," he brushed a finger through James's hair and laid down beside him, running his hands over the alcohol warmed skin.

"You don't have to give me up, you just don't have to worry so much. I've- loss and death follow me around like a curse. I should be used to it all by now." He meant it as reassurance, trying to prove that he was fine when he was obviously was not. "So long as I can hold onto you, I don't care what else happens."

Gabriel nodded, and silenced him with a kiss. He held on to James, all he could do to reassure him with soft kisses that he wasn't alone.

"You don't need to do that, really." Bond chuckled, smiling down at Gabriel. "All you'd have to do to let me know I still have you is give me one of those cheeky smiles you like to give so much and you'd have me completely wrapped around your finger."

Gabriel nodded, trying to summon the energy for it when he was so preoccupied with James's well being. He managed a bit of a grin and teased at James's thigh.  
It took him a minute, to take a deep breath and picture James buckling the dress collar on his neck. Then he managed a real smile, shining eyes and all.

"You didn't have to force one out for me, Sweet." Bond sighed, shaking his head, a smile on his own face all the same. "Never feel like you have to act happy for me, okay? I might make demands of you here and there, but I'm not going to force you to smile when you don't want to. I'll force you to get a minimum six hours sleep, or make it a rule that you're not allowed to code before breakfast, but I won't have you trying to force out smiles for my viewing pleasure."

"I'm not forcing, I want to make you happy," Gabriel gave a wry grin. "I just... Today made me realize you do those things all the time. And I like you holding me... I don't make much sense after alcohol, I'm sorry. I just want to keep you safe as best I can."

"Are you comfortable knowing that I do those things everyday? It's not always quite so clean cut. Between who is the good guy and who's the bad, I mean." His job was probably something he should have explained better before the collar, James realised. "I've probably killed more people than I've had meaningful conversations with, and that number is only going to rise. Are you okay making a man whose job it is to kill without consequence happy? Safe, I know you can do. That brilliant mind of yours will keep me safe, but outside of work..." James paused, worried about what Gabriel's answer might be. "My happiness isn't the only happiness that matters."

"Oh! No, that's not what I mean," Gabriel shook his head. "It doesn't bother me what you do for work. I just want to do my best to keep you safe. I don't want to lose you."

"Just make sure that if you change your mind on that you tell me you want to leave, okay?" James didn't much like the idea of being another captor to Gabriel, especially given how awful Silva had been. "I hope you never want to, but the option is there. I like communication with Submissive's, even my one night flings got to have an opinion."

"That won't happen," Gabriel assured him. "I'll be here as long as you'll have me. The only thing I worry about is how dangerous your job is, I don't think that hit home for me until today. At least I'll have your back."

"I probably make it a little more dangerous than it has to be," Bond admitted. "I tend to cut corners when I see a better way to complete missions."

"Try to come home, that's all I ask," Gabriel sighed. "You don't work an office job, and I know that. But try not to take unnecessary risks."

"I always come home." Eventually anyway, he always eventually came home. James had more of a reason to come home now, that was for sure. "I wouldn't think any of my risks unnecessary, they're just not always safe."

Gabriel just shook his head and laughed. "I did sign up to be collared by a spy, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. I don't worry about you hurting me James, I want you to understand that."

"I'll do my best not to, Quartermaster." Bond grinned, trying to lighten the mood for himself. "I can't promise not to hurt Q-branch equipment though."

"Just bring MY agent home," Gabriel growled. "I don't bloody care about the equipment."

Laughing, Bond nodded, rolling onto his back, pulling Gabriel with him, keeping the man close. "You'll regret saying that one day when you trust me to take a prototype into the field and I bring it back in more pieces than it was made from." He grinned, dragging nails idly down Gabriel's back. "Or when I waterlog my radio, or accidentally misplace half my tech on a mission."

"As long as you come back," Gabriel gave one of his face splitting grins. "I do want you to bring the equipment back, but not at your expense love. I want you warm in my arms, just don't make me lose my job, or else you really will have to keep me as a house husband."

"Always." Bond nodded, Gabriel's smile relaxing him tenfold. "But really, I can't promise the safety of the equipment, it's just impossible to tell what "I still blame you," Gabriel retorted, flopping down on James with a dramatic sigh. "I am tired though, and hungry. I'm going to go get more food."might happen out on the field." Like how many risks Bond felt like taking. "You won't lose your job over it though, they'd fire me before you, and I know that's not going to happen."

"Just be careful," Gabriel bent to nip at his pulse point in his throat. "Bring my Master home to me, Sir."

"My middle name is careful." Bond closed his eyes over, content to just lie there with Gabriel, ignoring responsibilities for now. "Or was it danger? I can't remember..."

"Oh for fuck's sake," a giggle escaped and Gabriel burst into full on laughter. "I'm pretty sure right now it's just drunk for both of us. Although horny might fit too."

"I'm beginning to think that you're always horny, Sweet." Bond laughed in return. "I thought I had a large sex drive, yours never seems to turn off."

"I still blame you," Gabriel retorted, flopping down on James with a dramatic sigh. "I am tired though, and hungry. I'm going to go get more food."

"All right, why don't you bring something back for the both of us, hm? You could kneel down beside the bed while we eat if you're not too tired."

"Yes, Sir," Gabriel grinned. He ran off to the kitchen and returned with a warm plate for both of them, and a pitcher of water. He put down the plate on the night and and knelt next to the bed, his head against James's leg.

Running a hand through Gabriel's hair, Bond took his own plate, eating slowly. "Good boy. You're allowed to eat with me too, don't wait for me to be finished."

Gabriel grabbed the single egg roll with a wink, and stuffed it into his mouth whole, and then burst into giggles again.

Laughing with him, Bond near choked on his own role, shaking as he laughed, trying to not spit the food all over the bed.

He ended up on James's lap, his face red. "I like laughing with you, I can enjoy being myself and it's alright to be happy. It's been a long time."

Finally swallowing his mouthful, nodding along, James kissed the red-faced man in his lap. "I like it when you laugh too. It's intoxicating."


	16. Chapter 16

"You make me smile," Gabriel agreed.

"Let's hope that I never make you cry."

"I'm sure you will, I cry easy," Gabriel rolled his eyes.

"I'll try and not make you cry all the same." Bond went back to eating, sighing softly. "I won't make you suffer, Gabriel. I promise."

"I'm not worried about it," Gabriel smiled. "I was collared by Silva, James. There's nothing you can do that's going to make me worry."

James could think of a few things that would make Gabriel worry, but didn't want to push the issue and cause any stress, nodding instead. "I suppose you're right. Life with me will seem fairly relaxed, no doubt."

"What are you thinking about?" Gabriel asked softly. "I can see the gears turning."

"Nothing important, don't worry." Bond hummed, returning the question with a smile. "Long day, that's all."

"Liar," Gabriel retorted. "You're going to have to learn to lie better."

"I lie very well, thank you very much." Bond really didn't want to worry Gabriel with the idea that Bond would make him cry multiple times, danger and death being somewhat attached to James' side. "I'm just thinking over what happened, how I could have done it better, that's all."

"Not to me you don't," Gabriel sighed, grabbing a wonton. "But whatever you need to believe."

"I'll believe the truth." Bond muttered back, feeling worse for it all. "We should get some proper sleep before tomorrow."

"I don't want to make you angry, but you're not telling me something?"

"I'm worried that the real me, the 007 me, will make you cry more than you deserve to." Bond muttered. "That seeing what I do for a living will drive you away. It's not a black and white world at MI6. I don't always kill guilty people and innocent people don't always live."

"I was collared by a killer, James," Gabriel said quietly. "I'm a Courtesan. I'm not so black and white."

"Yes, but collared to a killer, you didn't have to worry about right and wrong, you knew that he was doing wrong." Bond sighed, running a hand over his face. "I'm sorry, I just- after a few dozen flings, you begin to question what people will think."

"I don't question you," Gabriel offered. "I know I'm in love with you and you will keep me safe."

"No, but I question myself." James explained. "Is what I'm doing selfish? Should I get a safer job? Do I really have a right to kill as many people as I do? I don't know, I've always been a shameless romantic I suppose."

"You do what has to be done. I don't know if it's right or wrong, but it's a job someone has to do," Gabriel said. "If you want to do something else, do it. But you don't have to do it because of what I think."

"You're so open minded,it's refreshing." Bond relaxed again, talking himself down from anything rash. "I really did win the jackpot when I met you."

"Well not everyone works at a bank. To to some people, I'm just a whore," Gabriel added softly. "A little perspective."

"I'll break the neck of the next person to suggest as such." Bond growled.

"I can give them a piece of my mind, remember the black belt," Gabriel laughed. "But it doesn't matter what they think. All that matters is it works for us."

"I'd still like to give them a once over all the same." Bond shrugged. "Teach them a thing or two about respect."

"Thank you, it means a lot. But I wish they understood that you're the reason they can sleep at night, you're what keeps them safe," Gabriel said. "And besides, I'm not a fling. I already know what you do. There's no surprise there."

"If everybody knew, I wouldn't be a secret agent anymore, would I? Really, I don't mind people not knowing what I do. The lad at the cafe down the road thinks I'm an accountant. Far safer for him, really."

"An accountant?" Gabriel smothered a laugh. "Whatever lets him sleep a night and make good coffee. Maybe you can show me around the neighborhood when we finally make it out of bed."

"I'd rather people guess at what I do and create the lie for me. Much more believable that way." Bond nodded. "I'm sure we would turn some heads, most people also tend to make assumptions about my relationship status. Alec doesn't know how to keep his hands to himself and enjoys causing a scene." He added, laughing.

"Well I think my collar should give them a pretty clear idea, but I'll be happy to remind them. And Alec clearly doesn't know what's good for him. I may have asked how he likes subbing for Eve," Gabriel laughed.

"I'm sure he would have taken very well to that." Bond chuckled. "You might actually match him for smart comebacks, that'll drive him up the wall."

"Ah well, we'll see," Gabriel yawned and put down his plate. "I think I'm ready for sleep, Sir."

"Sleep sounds good. Hopefully I won't wake up shouting this time." Bond nodded. "I'd rather not wake up like that again."

"It happens, if it does, I'm here," Gabriel settled into the crook of his arm and gave him a kiss. He closed his eyes and let himself drift off to sleep, James's hands protectively around him.

James was blessedly able to sleep without another nightmare, keeping Gabriel close to him, subconsciously pulling him in tight to keep him safe as they both slept soundly.

When Gabriel opened his eyes the next morning, James was still asleep. He snuck away to brush his teeth and make coffee, before returning to kiss James awake, bringing aspirin and water.

Waking with a groan, his head pounding, James' first instinct was to push Gabriel away before realizing what he was doing, dropping his hand with a small huff, rubbing his face.   
"I feel like my brain has been shot to pieces." He grumbled, squinting at the light, yawning some. "Is that coffee I can smell?"

"Yes, its brewing, and there's toast as well," Gabriel handed him the aspirin. "Have some water and painkillers while it finishes." He opened the windows and closed the blinds, letting in the cool morning breeze.

Taking the water and pills, swallowing it all down in the hopes of getting on his feet as soon as possible, James closed his eyes back over, groaning again. "I drank too much."

"We both did," Gabriel gave a grimace. "I'll go pour the coffee, would you like a shower?"

"A shower sounds good." Though James didn't much like the idea of standing up any time soon. "If I can stay upright for that long."

"Let your stomach settle a bit, then," Gabriel reappeared with dry toast and black coffee. He knelt next to the bed and watched James carefully, trying to gauge what he needed.

Skipping the toast, opting only for the coffee, James relaxed into the bed, letting out a pleased sigh. "You can have the first shower if you'd like, Sweet. While I recover from my binge."

"I will in a bit, unless you'd like me out of your hair?" Gabriel kept his voice down to let James relax. "Let me finish my coffee."

"No no, you're fine where you are." Bond assured. "You're actually doing wonders for my mood. I'd be already back into the bottle if you weren't here."

"Well if there's anything I can do to help you relax, let me know," Gabriel tucked his feet under him and ate his own toast, dipping it into his coffee.

"You kneeling there is plenty enough for me." It had an amazing calming effect on him, giving Bond some measure of control without really having to do anything.

"Well, I will be right here," Gabriel smiled. "Would you like more coffee? I'm going to make some eggs and potatoes if you'd like some?"

"Potatoes sound good, I think I'll skip the eggs though." Bond nodded. "More coffee would be wonderful too. I'll try and drag myself out to the kitchen to eat. Better to force myself out of bed."

"Alright, I'll bring you more coffee, and you can shower while I cook," Gabriel kissed his cheek and took the empty mug. "Be right back, lover."

Pushing himself out of the bed slowly, James somewhat unsteadily made his way to the shower, cleaning off most of the stick from the night, waking himself up some, though still very refreshed, coming back out to the kitchen in his towel, sitting down gingerly at the table.   
"It smells good."

Gabriel gave him a plate with toast and potatoes, and another mug of coffee. He ran his hands down James's shoulders and neck. "When you're a little more awake I can get rid of these knots for you," he offered.

"Sounds like a good morning to me." Bond nodded, slowly picking at his breakfast, careful not to eat too fast.

Gabriel pressed a soft kiss to the back of his neck and knelt next to James's chair, his head against James's leg. He was was content to feel James nearby, with no agenda or plans to be done.

“Are you going to eat anything, Sweet? You're welcome to have something down there, I'd rather you eat with me than after me." James carded a hand through Gabriel's hair, softly scratching at the scalp.

"I will," Gabriel said, leaning into James's hand. He slid into a chair and dug into his own eggs. The door slamming revealed a very hungover 006, not quite articulate.  
"There's coffee and food," Gabriel offered, checking with James. "Help yourself."

"Look at that, silent for once." James chuckled, wincing slightly, rubbing at his temple. "There's painkillers too, same place as normal."

Gabriel stayed seated next to him. If Alec needed something, it would be James that gave the order. He didn't want to help Alec, and he tried to keep from frowning at his slamming of cupboards and dishes.

"Alec for god's sake calm down. You're not achieving anything by slamming everything around." James groaned, in no way having enough energy to put up with Alec's mood swing. "What are you looking for?"

"Least your bloody courtesan could do is make me a plate," Alec muttered. "What good is he sitting at the table dressed? Shouldn't he be waiting on us naked?"

Growling, Bond balled hands into fists, stopping short of getting up and decking Alec, reminding himself that it wouldn't do anything to help the situation. "Gabriel doesn't have to do a thing for you unless I tell him to, and he doesn't have to do it naked." He hissed back. "You're a grown man, get yourself a plate."

Gabriel hung back, trying to stay out of the swinging fists. "I can make you a plate if you ask nicely, you don't have to be rude and demand it," he said finally. "It's not necessary for you to talk about me like I'm not here."

"No. You're not to help him at all." Bond replied bluntly. "Big boy can get it himself, he's an adult."

Gabriel gave him a grateful smile and poured himself and James more coffee. "I was thinking we could go out tonight, have dinner?" he asked quietly. "Or I can cook."

"Would you like to go out?" James turned his attention back to Gabriel, pointedly ignoring Alec all together. "I know of a few places that will let me in without a reservation."

"Some place quiet, it doesn't have to be fancy," Gabriel offered. "I used to go to this great French cafe in my old neighborhood."

"We can go wherever you like. There'll be plenty of fancy dinners in the future, I'm sure. Comes with working at MI6."

"A nice walk and a quiet dinner sound wonderful," Gabriel smiled. "Being back in England is a bit overwhelming."

"I'm sure you'll adjust in no time, Sweet." Bond nodded, taking Gabriel's hand. "And we don't have to go exploring the whole city, you're fine to spend time indoors."

"A walk before dinner would be alright," Gabriel sighed. "I'm not used to having days off, it's odd for me."

"You won't get too many of those later." Bond nodded. "Better enjoy them now, free time doesn't really happen in MI6 unless you're forced to get some rest."

"At the house, I was eye candy, I worked out, I dressed nicely, here, it's hard to get my footing again. I'm trying to remember who I was before Silva, but it's been so long..."

"You're not eye candy here or at MI6, don't worry." Bond assured. "Just take it one step at a time, there's no pressure for you to be a perfect trophy wife or the like."

Gabriel tried to hold in a giggle, unsuccessfully. "I don't think there's any risk of that," he laughed. "I have a PhD in information technology, they weren't quite sure what to do with me at the house either. Usually the Courtesan is someone beautiful. Gino, the man who was the Courtesan last, he was a ballerino. Me? I've always been a bit odd."

"Well I like 'a bit odd.' so that's fine with me." Bond smiled, finishing off his meal. "Odd has always been much more interesting than the standard fit." He couldn't have asked for somebody better than Gabriel, the man had been a blessing. "And anyway, you are quite beautiful, so I'm still going to enjoy watching you work."

Gabriel's ears tinged pink with pleasure at the compliment and Alec snorted in derision. "Thank you, James, I hope you will," Gabriel had eyes only for the Dom sitting next to him with the crystal blue eyes. "Are you ready for a shower and massage?" He took their plates to the sink.

Shooting a glare at Alec, his hangover not helping the situation, Bond refrained from saying anything, instead giving his attention back to Gabriel. "I don't think I need another shower just yet, but the massage sounds wonderful."

"You know Alec, if you want your own courtesan, I can give you a referral for a training session," Gabriel said sweetly, winking at James. "It's a lot of responsibility, and they don't let us be collared by an untrained Dom. But if you really are interested, I can call Maddalena."

Snorting, Alec shook his head. "I don't need a trained puppy dog to bring in my newspaper every morning." James' expression turned sour, but stayed quiet, wanting to prevent a fight. "Maybe if I ask James-y nicely enough he'll lend you out for a small fee."

"I'm not to be shared, Alec, it's part of my contract," Gabriel frowned. "I don't know why you don't take no for an answer." "He never had a problem sharing before," Alec rolled his eyes. "You're just his new shiny toy."

"Sounds like he's just jealous." James bit back, still not giving his attention to Alec. "He knows that now I have you I won't fuck him anymore."

Gabriel hurried to leave the room before he started laughing at Alec's shocked expression. He collapsed on the bed, dissolving into giggles. "Good one," he told James as he came in. "I don't think he was ready to be outed as a bottom. Even worse than me asking if he subbed for Eve."

Leaving the table, James only continued to ignore Alec, heading into the bedroom, following after Gabriel. "Yes, well he's got to learn some day. I meant it though, he's probably just jealous."

"I didn't know," Gabriel said softly. "I didn't think you had someone at home. It's awkward."

"I don't." Bond shook his head. "Alec and I have always been nothing more than casual sex when it suited us both. No attachments, just some good sex."

"You may need to tell him that," Gabriel suggested. "He seems to think its more."

Sighing, James pinched the bridge of his nose. "I was rather hoping I wouldn't have to have that conversation with Alec. I figured given our jobs he would have known that."

"I hate confrontation more than anyone," Gabriel sighed. "But I can see his point, you've always come back to home when the mission was over, and this time you brought me back instead. You've been friends too long to let this stop you. Why don't you take him out tonight, and you two can talk?"

It didn't seem all that appealing to James. He wasn't much of a 'talk about his emotions' kind of person, but he knew that Gabriel meant well by it. "I don't know if it would do us any good. We've never really sat down and had a heart to heart about anything. We normally get drunk."

"Well whatever you need to do, just let me know," Gabriel offered. "Maybe you need to talk to him and get everything out in the open."

"I don't know what I need to do." James admitted. "I honestly didn't think he'd be upset. I figured he didn't like you because of what happened with Vesper, not because he was jealous."

"So tell him that, that you didn't bring me back to rub it in his face," Gabriel suggested. "Maybe he thinks you did it on purpose?"

"Should I go talk to him now?" Bond was at a loss, completely out of his depth. "I don't want to lose my best friend, but I don't want to put up with him mouthing off about you either."

"It depends if you want to clear the air now, or wait until you both don't have hangovers," Gabriel grimaced. "I'm not sure which is best, honestly."

"I'd like to be able to go out with you tonight, so now is probably best." James offered, still feeling somewhat lost. "What am I supposed to say to him? Sorry you thought sex was more than sex?"

"That you don't want to lose your best friend who has always had your back? That if he found someone himself you would be happy for him?" Gabriel said thoughtfully. "Let him know he'll always have a place to live and you aren't throwing him out?"

Gabriel shook his head and headed off to take a shower. That didn't sound like a positive opening to the conversation in the least, but James and Alec didn't seem to do things the easy way.

"Well?" James asked again, still waiting. "Is it because you're jealous of Gabriel? You had no right to speak about him the way you did."

"You brought him back... what am I supposed to think, James?" Alec rubbed his face, head still aching. "We've always come back to each other off mission, and then you bring back this pretty little fucking Courtesan!" Alec slammed down the mug he was holding.

"I bought back somebody that I love, Alec." James explained, a little softer, realizing the harsh method wasn't the right one. "I didn't know that you would have a problem with it, I thought you'd be happy that I'd finally gotten back on the horse."

Alec turned around, incredulous. "Do you have any idea how long it's been, James? Over twenty years, you've been coming back to me. You could have warned me," he sighed

"I didn't exactly come back on my own terms, if you remember, Alec! I was called back, there wasn't enough time to call you and go 'oh by the way I've gotten myself a boyfriend’," Bond growled in return. "I didn't have time to think every small detail over."

"I know," Alec said gruffly. "Just don't let him hurt you. I reserve the right to hunt him down if he breaks your heart."

"He's not like Vesper." Bond assured. "He's nothing like Vesper, Alec. He's not going to 'break my heart' like she did."

"Looks just fucking like her," Alec muttered. "All I got was a message saying you weren't coming back, and then you reappeared looking like you'd been through a war. We were all worried."

"He looks nothing like her." Bond growled. "And I hardly need you lot babysitting me, I'm capable of looking after myself. Vesper was a mistake, Gabriel is not."

"Are you bloody blind?" Alec yelled. "He could be her twin. He had a whole conversation with R about it, he's worried you're trying to replace her and you'll wake up and realize you don't care about him."

"He's not Vesper!" Bond shouted in return, whole body tensing up, ready for a fight. "Goddammit Alec! He's nothing like that woman, and I wouldn't try and replace her with anybody like her either! I want nothing to do with that woman ever again, why would I fawn after somebody like her?"

"I don't know, why would you?" Alec asked. "I'm going for a walk. I can't do this right now."

"Fine. While you're out try and find your manners." James left the kitchen, stalking back to the bedroom, head pounding, shaking slightly. Gabriel wasn't anything like Vesper, James wouldn't have done that to himself a second time.

Gabriel stepped out of the shower quietly, trying not to intrude. Alec had some good points, even if he was being an ass about it. He'd tried not to eavesdrop, but the yelling had made it impossible to block out the fighting.

Hearing the shower stop, Bond did his best to compose himself, knocking gently on the bathroom door. "Everything alright in there? Hopefully I didn't use too much of the hot water."

"It's fine," Gabriel offered a sad smile. "I'm sorry. That sounded bad. He really does mean well."

"I don't know where he gets off comparing you to Vesper. It's insulting to you to suggest it." Bond sat down on the edge of the bed, sighing deeply. "You're not her."

"No, but I look like her," Gabriel said. "At least be honest with yourself and admit that, James. He cares, even if he's hell at expressing it."

"I don't think you look like her." James would deny that until the day he died. "You've got dark hair and cunning eyes, but do do half the people that work at MI6." He offered as means of an explanation. "It's not an uncommon trait, Alec and the rest are just jumping to conclusions."

"I saw her picture in the file, I'm sure it's part of why M chose me," Gabriel said reluctantly. "You have a type, intelligent brunettes. Damsels in distress. Maybe Alec isn't brunette, but we both have green eyes. I'd say the evidence agrees with us, love."

"Having a type is completely different to you being like Vesper." Bond shrugged. "Having a type is fine. It means I know what I like."

"I won't argue with you, it gives me a stomachache," Gabriel said. "But I understand his point. More than anything, I want this to be real, and you to be crazy about some geeky boffin because I'm me."

"I am crazy about you, Gabriel." Bond smiled. "You're not a replacement, you're not her double, you're not there to fill a hole."

"I hope not," Gabriel pulled him in for a kiss. He rubbed at the tattoo and smiled. "I'll be able to wear my collar for work Monday. I'm looking forward to that."

"You'll look gorgeous standing up there in Q branch." James agreed, happy to kiss his love. "MI6 is lucky to finally have you."

Gabriel blushed happily, leaning into James. "You'll have to come down for lunch, and you can put oil on my tattoo?" He suggested with a flirtatious smile. He pulled in a pair of dark jeans and a white button down, rolling up the sleeves.

"Any excuse to get my hands on you." James teased with a playful wink. "I'll be sure to bring something good down to eat though, make all your newly appointed minions jealous."

"I- you don't have to, I'm not going to run away," Gabriel pulled on a gold and green cardigan, settling into it happily. "I used to wear these, kept me warm in the lab," he said. "I'm not here to use you."

"I'm allowed to spoil you, Gabriel." Bond laughed. "I'm not trying to keep you by my side, I just want to spoil you. Give you everything you deserve and then some."

"Well I do love caffeine and gadgets," he laughed. "I'm a sensualist, I love soft things, textures to touch. I can't wait to unpack my storage."

"I'll keep that in mind. I'll try and bring you all sorts of fun things to play with back from my missions."

"Any sort of tech I can puzzle with," Gabriel agreed. "Let's go for a walk? It's a beautiful day."

"Of course. Is there anywhere you'd like to visit? Or re-visit I suppose, now that you're back in London?" Bond stood back up, stretching some, letting his back crack.

"Just a walk, and keep me away from the book sellers," Gabriel laughed. "Maybe I can pick out some poetry to read to you, though."

"Those two sentences seem to contradict each other." Bond grinned. "I'm sure there's a couple of good second hand book sellers around here that would have a good poetry section."

"I told you my book fetish is out of control," Gabriel laughed. "At least I know what I have in storage so I won't get any doubles."


	17. Chapter 17

"I'll be sure to get those books out of storage for you." Bond smiled in return. "We can't have them collecting dust in storage now, can we."

Gabriel turned a brilliant smile on him, and headed for the door. "I'll make arrangements on Monday. Eve offered to help me."

"She's good like that." Bond hummed. "Be careful though, she'll want to gossip while she helps."

"Will I get to hear all your dirty secrets?" Gabriel teased. "I'm sure everyone wants to know about me, I did get the most infamous 00 of all time to collar me."

"I'm sure she will share all of them with you." Bond laughed. "She'll expect a trade though. My secrets for yours."

"I don't have anything to hide," Gabriel shrugged. "I'm more than happy to tell her what she wants to know. Word will get around, I'd rather its the truth."

"A good way to look at it." James had to admit, Gabriel was wise beyond his years. "I just hope that you get the truth about me."

"I promise I'll take it all with a grain of salt," Gabriel laughed. "I know how rumors work, James. I'm not about to believe everything I hear. Besides, Eve might have some ideas how I can deal with Alec."

"She might also just tell you to give him a good kick in the behind." Bond chuckled. "Now, should we have a look at the books? Or do you want to continue our walk a little further?"

"Books are good," Gabriel smiled, heading straight for the poetry and classics sessions. "Anything in particular that you like to hear read?"

"I don't read all that much poetry myself," Bond admitted. "I'll leave the choices up to you, I don't think I could name all that many poets off the top of my head anyway."

"Not even the erotic ones?" Gabriel teased. "Come on, let's see what strikes your fancy. The small used book store had over stuffed chairs, and Gabriel pulled James into one, a stack of books under his arm.

"I don't need to read erotic poetry." Bond snorted, sitting down comfortably. "You do know that this is a book store and not a library right, Gabriel?"

"I have my own credit card, James, stop worrying, Really, no Oscar Wilde? No Garcia Lorca? I didn't realize you were such an anti-romantic," Gabriel teased.

"I've found that my own words are better at expressing how I feel than some poet." James shrugged, smiling all the same.

"I make an idiot out of myself when I'm trying to be romantic," Gabriel blushed. "Easier to leave it to the experts."

"If a Courtesan isn't an expert, I doubt any of us really are." Bond offered, reaching out to pull Gabriel in closer, glancing around to make sure that the store owner wasn't going to kick them out, kissing Gabriel lightly. "I happen to think you're very romantic."

"Thank you," Gabriel blushed. "I was taught all the right things to say, and do. But now I care, and it matters, and it all feels awkward."

"I don't think you're awkward at all. I can tell when you genuinely are being romantic, which is all of the time, so it's completely fine." Bond couldn't think of a single time that Gabriel had been overly awkward. "I think you're perfect."

"You're sweet, you're too used to being around diplomats," Gabriel teased. "I just try to think of what I like, and take out the corny parts of it. It's hard to believe... I hadn't really been in love, in a long time. I had that first crush everyone has, but then... I went and trained at the house, met Silva," he sighed. "I taught myself not to feel anything."

"Hopefully you'll learn that you're loved now at the very least.' Bond offered gently. "It doesn't have to be all training and carefully chosen words and the like. Just be whoever you want to be, Gabriel, and I'll love that man."

Gabriel threw his arms around his neck and kissed him soundly. "Thank you, James. I love you. Oh, I almost forgot, I need to pick up my tag at the jewelers before we go to dinner."

"We can swing past once we're done here and get changed before dinner." James nodded. "And then after we can go for a stroll through the park if you'd like."

"That sounds great," Gabriel smiled. "I'll go pay, meet you outside?" He pressed another soft kiss to James's lips and collected his stack of books.

"Any chance you'd let me pay?" Bond offered, doubting that he'd get a yes as an answer. "I'm still determined to spoil you."

"If you'll let me pay at the jewelers?" Gabriel offered. "There's something I want to get you."

"You don't have to get me anything, and really, I should pay for your tag, I should have remembered it when I got the collars." Bond pulled his wallet out, heading for the counter, giving the owner a smile. "I don't expect anything from you, Gabriel, really, it's okay."

"Please let me get something for you? It's only right, after those beautiful collars," Gabriel flashed his prettiest smile. "Besides, I want everyone to know that you're taken, now." He took the sack of books from the owner with a thank you and a promise to be back, and pulled James happily down to the jewelers. "I was checking their website when I ordered my tags, and I saw something I thought you might be willing to wear."

There wasn't any real way that Bond would be able to fight back against the smile Gabriel had given, James sighing through a chuckle, nodding. "I suppose. but I am paying for the tags, it's only right that I do."

"Alright, I do hope you'll like it," Gabriel pulled him into the store. "They'll size it. Hello," he greeted the shop owner. "I'm Gabriel Shaw, I made an order online. And if we could size that ring?" 

The shop owner smiled. "You must be Mr. Bond, Sir." He shook James's hand. "Your boy was quite beside himself to find you the perfect thing. You're quite lucky."

"Please, James is fine enough." Bond smiled in return, giving a firm shake. "A ring? " He'd have to take it off for missions, but it was certainly something he would wear. "I suppose I am lucky, yes. Probably one of the luckiest if you don't mind me boasting."

"And now that I see him in person, please, boast all you want," the shop owner smiled. "He reminds me of my partner when he was young." He opened a velvet box with a plain platinum band, and held it up for James to read the inside inscription, "to my beloved Master".

James' smile widened, unable to hide his pride or the small flutter inside that made him want to turn and snog Gabriel right on the spot. "It's beautiful," he nodded. "Absolutely beautiful."

"I'm glad you like it, I guessed on a size, but we can have it adjusted," Gabriel took James's hand and kissed his palm softly. "Can I try it on you?"

"It looks about the right fit." James nodded, allowing Gabriel to test the ring.

Gabriel slid it onto his right middle finger, unobtrusive enough that it didn't appear to be a wedding ring. It was snug, but loose enough to come back off with a tug. "Will this work?"

"It's perfect." Bond nodded, pulling hand away to admire the ring. "You've got excellent taste, Gabriel."

"Let me just pay," he gave James a bright smile. "You can make sure that I got the writing on the tag correct." It was simply engraved: 'Property of James Bond', and the back had Bond's phone number.

"Looks right to me." Bond nodded, stepping aside to allow Gabriel to pay. "You've certainly been busy."

"I wanted to surprise you," Gabriel answered. "I woke up before you, and I did some looking online."

"I don't know how you managed to be productive through a hangover." Bond laughed. "You obviously know something I don't."

"Coffee and painkillers?" Gabriel flashed a smile. "I also stopped before you did."

"You're obviously the smarter one of us two." Bond laughed. "My clever little Gabriel."

Gabriel leaned in for a brief kiss, and pulled James down to whisper in his ear, "it's my job to take care of you, on mission or off."

"I'd like to think that it's also my job to take care of you while I'm off mission." Bond replied, wrapping his arm around Gabriel's waist, turning to thank the man behind the counter. "I'll spoil you on the days I'm home, I promise."

"Well as long as you come home, I'll be thrilled," Gabriel smiled. "Will you put the tags on my dress collar when we get home?"

"I'll do my best to come home after every mission." Bond nodded. "Once we're home I'll attach them, I'm sure they'll suit the collar well."

Gabriel stopped to admire their reflection in the shop window. "I look... Happy," he gave a surprised grin.

"It's a good look, you should wear it all of the time." Bond nodded, smiling himself. "I don't want to ever make you sad."

"Stay safe and you won't," Gabriel laughed, pulling James in for a brief kiss in the middle of the crosswalk.

"I'll do my best. No promises though, trouble follows me about." Taking Gabriel home from there, Bond relaxed, sinking down onto the couch, humming happily. "Go fetch your collar, Sweet."

"Yes, Sir," Gabriel returned a few minutes later, in a pair of black fitted trousers and a white button down. He knelt down happily by James's feet, silver collar in hand.

Running around hand briefly through Gabriel's hair Bond took the collar and tags, fastening the tags on before showing it to Gabriel. "What do you think? It should look good around your neck, Sweet."

"I like it," Gabriel smiled. "It looks like something someone famous would wear."

"It would drive me mad if you were famous. All those eyes on you, I'd get jealous." Bond grinned. "I'd always be worried that you'd find somebody who wasn't running around being shot at."

"Oh gosh no, none of that," Gabriel frowned. "I just never thought I'd wear something this, elegant? I'm usually practical about everything but books."

"You only have to wear it for formal occasions, Sweet. I won't force you to wear a dress collar every moment of the day." Setting the collar down, Bond ran his hand through Gabriel's hair again. "Dinners and functions, things like that."

"I... I like wearing it," Gabriel blushed. "More than I thought I would. If you don't mind."

"The dress collar?" Bond couldn't help but smile proudly, glad that he had not only picked something that Gabriel had liked, but managed to also picked something that Gabriel liked to wear. "I don't mind at all."

"The other is nice, this one just feels like it was made for me," Gabriel said quietly. He curled up against James's leg and kissed his hand.

Scratching at Gabriel's chin, James ran his thumb over the others lips. "I was worried you wouldn't like it."

"I really do," Gabriel said. "It makes me feel, appreciated, maybe? I'm not used to being this cared for."

"I don't like the idea of a submissive being mistreated to that point. I'll be sure to make sure you never feel that way again." Gabriel deserved so much more than what he had had previously. "I'll tweet you like a prince."

"You already do, James. There's not anything you're missing," Gabriel sighed. "If you're really inclined, you can help me move books though."

"I'll move them to wherever you want, Sweet." Bond agreed. "As many as you want, wherever you want."

"Well where ever you want me to store them," Gabriel shrugged. "I was thinking I could put them in the spare room and pick up the cats from my aunt next weekend."

"I can order some bookshelves, there's more than enough space if you want them in the lounge. I don't think Alec would be all that happy if the spare room becomes a library, he uses it far too often."

"Oh, that's right," Gabriel laughed. "How does Alec feel about cats anyway? They usually sleep on top of of the book shelves."

"We've never really talked much about animals, pets don't work for double O's, too much international travel and the such." Bond shrugged. "Besides, this isn't his house, it's mine, so he can deal with cats."

I'm sure he'll be thrilled with me," Gabriel shook his head. "He already thinks that I brainwashed you. You ready for dinner?"

"Well you didn't, so don't let him bother you." Bond shook his head, sighing at the mention of Alec's opinion. "I'll get into something a little nicer and we can go."

"Do you want me to help you dress?" Gabriel pressed a kiss to his lips.

Nodding, Bond stood, helping Gabriel to his feet, leading the both of them through to the bedroom. Regardless of the restaurant or cafe they ended up at, he still wanted to look his best, James ever the peacock. James pulled out one of his nicer suits, resting it over the bed, slowly undressing.

Gabriel helped him on with a grey button down, and smoothed the collar. He buttoned the shirt and tied James's tie, and helped him into the trousers. He bent to tie James's shoes, and put the suit jacket around his shoulders, standing back to admire the blond.

"You look good love, good enough for me to eat you," Gabriel pulled him closer.

"Shouldn't that be my line?" Bond growled back playfully, leaning down to nip at Gabriel's neck, near purring.

"Please," Gabriel nodded, shivering against James's lips. "You can have me as much as you like, although, after food!" He ducked out of James's grasp and pulled on a corduroy jacket.

James considered pulling Gabriel back for a quick one, managing to put sex to the back of his mind so that he could focus on dinner, chuckling. "After dinner then. You can be my dessert."

"With pleasure, Sir," Gabriel's smile was brilliant. "You just have to feed me between the sex, occasionally. And you say I'm insatiable."

"Mine comes from years of conditioning from the workplace environment," James bit back playfully, all too aware of his rampant sex drive (not that he was complaining all that much about it) "You're just constantly horny, Sweet."

"Tease," Gabriel sighed fondly. "But I can't run on sex and alcohol only. Do you want to drive, or walk to dinner?"

"We'll drive, it get's cold this time of year and I'd rather you no freeze half to death, and I'll admit to feeling a little lazy." Bond gestured for the door. "I'm a bit of a house cat off duty."

Gabriel nodded and leaned into his side happily,his hand tucked into James's coat pocket. "I could get used to this," he mused as they set off to the car. "Nothing like sitting on my days off wishing there was more work."

"You'll have more than enough work, trust me. MI6 works us to the bone some days, but I'll be sure to drag you home at the end of each night to get some rest. I won't have to withering away at a computer on me." It was an informal rule at best, they could discuss such things later. Wrapping his arm around Gabriel's waist, Bond led the two of them out to the car, opening Gabriel's door for him before climbing in himself.  
"Now, you mentioned a cafe before, do you still want to go there? Or shall I take you to one of mine?"

"I'd love to take you to the French cafe I used to go to, if you don't mind?"Gabriel asked. "I have a lot of good memories of spending time there during the university." He plugged the address into the GPS on his phone and smiled.

"Of course. I wouldn't have given you the option if I wanted anything specific tonight." Bond followed the GPS, making sure to find a carpark where his car was safe from most people, not wanting a scratch because of a clumsy or drunk pedestrian before smiling, reaching out for Gabriel's hand, pulling him out of the car and onto the sidewalk. "Any chance they sell Martini's here?"

"I'm sure they do, but you may want to try the house red wine first, they have it shipped from the family vineyard," Gabriel opened the door, and they were met with the smell of fresh bread and spices."Oh, I missed this," Gabriel sighed.

"I'll order that instead then." Bond nodded, happy to forego a Martini for the recommended wine. "What about the meals? What you you suggest as the best meal on the menu?"

"The coq au vin is to die for," Gabriel mentioned. "But as long as they bring bread, I don't care. And the butter is fresh, wait until you taste it."

"So you're suggesting we just snack on the bread all night?" Bond laughed, politely asking for them to be seated somewhere more private, happy to take a table where he could see the majority of the room, pulling Gabriel's seat out for him before sitting down himself. "Red wine and bread, sounds delicious."

"Oh my god, you're awful!" Gabriel smacked his arm and leaned in for a kiss. "The ratatouille is good, the salmon is good, I've never had anything I didn't enjoy."  
"It's good to have you back, Mr. Shaw," the waitress smiled. "And this must be the reason you've been gone?"  
"This is my partner, James," Gabriel smiled. "Can you just bring us whatever looks good in the kitchen? Chef's choice."

"I pride myself on tacky jokes like that, it's gotten me very far in life." James grinned in return, all too pleased with himself. "It seems like everybody you meet has missed you, I obviously got very lucky meeting you, Gabriel." He added, watching the waitress leave. "I'm not going to be stepping on toes here am I? I don't really want to have the chef come out and give me a talking to about treating you right."

"Well, considering the chef is.... Nanna!" Gabriel swept up a short, grey haired woman with an apron tied on into a big hug. "I probably should have told you, but I wanted it to be a surprise. This is my Nanna, my mother's mom. She raised me. Nanna, this is James."

James rose from his seat, giving a small, polite nod as Gabriel greeted his Nanna, certain that now he was going to get a lecture about treating Gabriel right. "It's a pleasure to meet you, you raised a fine young man."

"It's good to meet you, James, but please, call me Robin," she slipped off the apron and sat down. "Don't let him leave his books all over the house. I'm still finding strays and he hasn't lived with me for years. Gabriel, Maryanne said you're coming to get the cats next weekend? Let me know and I will send some bread home with her."

"I'll be sure to keep his books in check." Bond nodded, sitting back down himself, glancing over to Gabriel for reassurance. Trained assassins he could handle, but family members wanting to protect loved ones always posed a threat, even in such a friendly situation. "Do you own the restaurant?"

"Yes, and don't let Gabriel tell you that he can't cook either," Robin smiled. "He had his own stool in the kitchen before he could see over the counters. I was hoping he would take over some day, but of course that brain of his... he toyed with my pasta machine before the end of primary school. Still makes the best noodles in town," she smiled. "Take good care of him, James? It broke my heart when he went back to Italy, but after that asshole...he needed some time."

"He's already been quite enthusiastic about cooking, actually. No escaping the kitchen I'm afraid." The image of a tiny Gabriel poking his head over a counter, fiddling with a pasta machine bought an even larger smile to James' face, laughing some. "He's in good hands, I promise, I'll keep him safer than if he were part of the royal family."

"Please do," Robin smiled. "Now that you're home, Gabe, the cash registers are still having that glitch with traveler's checks, and I was thinking we might have room for a second convection oven. Oh, and James, we will expect you for Sunday dinner? The restaurant is closed, but we all get together and eat."

"I'll have to double check my work schedule but I'll do my best to be here. I'm sure that failing all else, Gabriel will be here at least. I'm afraid I work long hours." Bond offered as way of an apology, he wasn't overly sure that he'd fit in at a family dinner, he didn't often do such occasions.

"Oh, but you have to come!" Gabriel pouted. "If I'm not allowed to stay at the office all night, you have to come to Sunday dinner when you are in town. Besides, you aren't going to let me wander all over London alone after a bottle of wine, are you?" he teased.

"I'll come when I'm in London, I promise." James wasn't about to try and get out of a family function, even if it wasn't really what he was good at. "But I hope that in the cases where I can't come, you wouldn't drink an entire bottle of wine."

"I'll make sure he gets home safe," Robin promised with an eye roll. "He never gets to a second glass anyway, he'd be asleep on the table first. He certainly didn't inherit the family alcohol tolerance. Gabe, quit teasing James. You'll make the poor man worry for nothing when he's out of town, and you'll be doing nothing more than reading with that tea of yours. Honestly."

"I'll have to drink for him then, I'm rather like a fish when it comes to alcohol." Bond gave Gabriel a small wink, sliding easily into a more casual tone, content that he wasn't in for a lecture. "And I'll have to buy him more books, I'm afraid my work takes me away from home quite a bit."

"Yes well, I'm sure he'll give you one of his gadgets to stay in touch He got me an iPhone so we could talk during Sunday dinners while he was in Italy," Robin smiled. "Let me go check on your dinner, and we'll look forward to seeing both of you soon," she pressed a kiss to Gabriel's cheek."That collar looks stunning, good choice, James."

Giving a small nod as thanks, James laughed a little, watching Robin walk away. "I thought for sure that she would have had a few choice words for me about treating you right." He joked.

"Oh, she knows I'm working at Six, and she never liked Silva. He also never got invited to Sunday dinner, so don't worry, she's an excellent judge of character," Gabriel buttered a piece of warm bread and fed it to James.

"You told her you were working at MI6?" James frowned. "Aren't you worried that might put her in danger, Gabriel?"

"My grandmother was the one that helped me leave for Italy in the middle of the night, armed with her rolling pin," Gabriel smiled. "She's quite capable of taking care of herself."

"If she's anything like you, I'm sure she is." James nodded. "I suppose I'm just used to seeing people without family, so I don't really know who knows what when it comes to work."

"Well she's all I have,"Gabriel sighed. "Grandpa passed when I was in high school,she's where I get my love of cats and cooking and books. Aunt Maryanne just thinks I work with gadgets of some sort. Nanna always told me I could do anything I wanted, but I should find what I loved. She was right, that ended up being the same thing."

"I'm glad you have somebody there for you at the very least." James nodded. "She obviously cares about you a lot, you're lucky." He reached for another piece of bread, offering it up to Gabriel instead, smiling warmly. "You deserve a lot more than what you've been through."

"So do you," Gabriel frowned. He poured them each a glass of wine and handed one to James. "To the love we deserve?" he bent in to place a warm kiss at the corner of James's mouth.

"To the love we deserve." Bond nodded, holding his glass up. "And hopefully to a long life together."

"Yes, please," Gabriel's eyes shone suspiciously. He leaned against James, hiding the show of emotions that played across his face. "I'll do my best to keep you as safe as I can," he thanked the waitress as she brought out a tray of small dishes. "Ah, you get to try a little of everything," he smiled. He scooped up a spoon of risotto and offered it to James.

Taking the mouthful with a pleased hum, James closed his eyes. "Delicious. I've always been fond of a good risotto," licking his lips, James moved to take another spoonful. "If you're this good of a cook I might never let you out of the kitchen."

"As long as you'll stay in there with me, I'll have no reason to leave," Gabriel laughed. "I'll have to go grocery shopping this weekend. I'll start baking bread if you like."

"I don't think anybody has ever offered to bake me bread before." Gabriel was offering things to James that the man had never considered in his life. "You'll make me soft around the edges, then how will I save the world from all the bad guys?"

"I'm sure I can keep you on your toes," Gabriel smiled, feeding James a spoon of the ratatouille. "Not just because you work hard, you deserve to be taken care of at home."


	18. Chapter 18

"Don't feel obliged to pamper me though, I've gotten by on microwave meals and a game on the telly most weekends I have free. I'm not going to expect you to dote on me like a high school crush."

"Oh shush, I'm too old to eat like that, so I'm certainly not going to let you," Gabriel rolled his eyes and waved a bit of vegetable in front of James. "If you want to watch games on the telly, go for it, but we are NOT eating microwaved food. Do you have any idea how many places at least deliver takeaway?"

"I tend not to let people know where I live in most cases. Unless I know the business well, I don't really order from them. I suppose I'm a more little distrusting than what's rational." James sighed with a laugh. "Besides, microwave meals aren't that bad, some of them are quite good."

"I'll convert you to the microwave, don't you worry." Bond chuckled taking the fork from Gabriel to steal the vegetable at the end. "You don't need to worry about delicious home cooked meals every night, not when we'll both be working so hard."

 

"Leftovers, good lord," Gabriel shook his head. "You probably eat cereal far too often as well. I can cook on my days off, put lunches in the fridge and dinner in the slow cooker. Nanna, he eats frozen food," he frowned as his grandmother brought another basket of bread.  
"Why? I would think MI6 paid well enough for takeaway at least," Robin shook her head. "We'll have to civilize him a bit."

"I happen to enjoy both microwave meals and cereal." Bond snorted, grinning. "Is it really that awful? I don't really enjoy cooking, frozen food is easier and tastes fine."

"Oh Gabe, and I liked him," Robin rolled her eyes. "I'll send you home with extras until you can get the kitchen set up. Do you even own knives and baking dishes, James?"

"Don't worry, we'll teach him," Robin laughed  
. "There are homemade eclairs for dessert."

"Now that's certainly something I can support." James licked his lips, more than looking forward to dessert. "They aren't so great frozen."

"They come frozen?" Gabriel looks scandalized. "Why? How? But that means the cream isn't fresh either."

"You'd be surprised what you can find in a supermarket." Bond admitted. "They aren't fantastic, the apple pies you can get aren't half bad though, if that's any consolation."

Gabriel winced. "That's barely a step above pot noodles and instant coffee. That's inhumane."

"Pot noodles have their place." Bond protested. "And if nothing else, instant is nice and hot in the morning."

"Espresso, freshly ground beans and homemade bread," Gabriel said firmly. "We are NOT in the university, and I cannot live with instant coffee."

Bursting into laughter, Bond leant back in his chair, nodding along. "Alright, no instant coffee."

"I can work magic with food, but I require good caffeine to do it," he smiled. "Besides, wait until you have my crepes."

"I'll provide you with all the caffeine you need." James promised. "But only if you don't complain about my microwave meals on missions."

"As long as I don't have to see them," Gabriel said firmly. "I'll just pretend they don't happen. I just thought with your expensive taste in clothes and alcohol, hell, in collaring a Courtesan... Pot noodles?" He burst out laughing.

"They aren't my first choice, certainly, but when you're in an isolated location or you aren't really in a condition to go down to a restaurant they do wonders."

"I suppose, I never really managed to adjust to eating food like that," Gabriel groaned at the sight of the plate of eclairs. "Wait until you taste these."

"They already look a lot better than their frozen counterparts." Bond agreed, scooting in closer, wondering vaguely if he'd have to fight Gabriel for the eclairs. "Some things you can't cheat."

Gabriel held out one for him to take a bite, and waited for his reaction.

Taking a bite, James let out a small, low hum. "Far better than frozen." He nodded, mouth still half full, snagging the eclair from Gabriel so that he could enjoy the rest. "I could eat ten of these."

"See?" Gabriel laughed and bit into his own with a groan of delight. "God, I missed these. I'm telling Nanna we need a box to take home"

"Tell her we need five boxes." Bond finished his own quickly, eager to have another. "I'll have to hit the gym more often because of these."

"Wait until you have my crepes in the morning, with berries and fresh cream," Gabriel smiled. "You're going to be spoiled rotten."

"I'm sure it'll be a more substantial breakfast than a glass of whiskey." Bond agreed. "Is there anything you can't do? Because at the moment, you seem like you can do just about anything you put your mind to."

"I'm not wonderful with biology, it was a bit disgusting," Gabriel confessed. "I don't like seeing the inner bits of living things, I much prefer machines. But it's a good incentive to use my machines to keep you all safe." He fingered the collar with a proud smile, and touched the ring on James's hand.

"I'll keep my inner bits inside, noted." Bond chuckled. "Although I'm sure I could think of a type of biology you enjoy." He added with a playful wink, taking Gabriel's hand in his, giving it a small squeeze. "I was never one for machines myself, so I suppose I'll deal with the innards and you can deal with the tech."

"Well I do enjoy yours," Gabriel smiled. "But I rather you deal with the messy bits, I definitely won't fight you for them. After Silva... I saw quite enough. He was a sadist."

"I won't make you see anything more than the gross parts of a roast chicken." Bond promised. "I even promise to bleed out somewhere you can't see me." He joked. "I'll make sure I'm patched up before coming home to you, rather than ruining the couch."

"I thought you didn't like medical?" Gabriel asked suspiciously. "As long as it isn't your intestines, I'm quite capable of bandages and stitches though."

"I don't like medical, I usually try and patch myself up so I don't have to see them. It's amazing just how much you can hide in a debriefing. I broke two ribs once and they were none the wiser for about a week." Although admittedly, Bond hadn;t been all the smart in hiding that from medical. "I'd hope that my intestines don't fall out, they're a little harder to put back in."

"There will be no sex for you if you do,"he scolded, and leaned in to give James a kiss. "Nanna, can we get two boxes of eclairs and an order of coq au vin to go? And a case of wine," he added, "half read half sauvignon blanc."  
"Spoiled," Nanna smacked his head fondly. "Of course."

"I'll pay." James cut in, still wanting to pay, even with Gabriel's distaste for being spoilt. "Do you need help with the case of wine?"

Nanna smacked James's hand away. "You can carry the wine,and we will see you at three o'clock on Sunday. The least you can let me do is feed my grandson, you'll need that money to afford his books." She gave him a kiss on each cheek."Thank you for bring him back, and bringing back his smile."

"I really don't mind paying for the food, it's lovely." Still, he felt as if he wasn't going to get such an opportunity. "Hopefully I won't ever do anything that will take that smile away."

"He does cry rather easily, just don't let him be manipulative about it," Robin handed Gabriel the eclairs."Goodnight love, we will see you both Sunday."

Taking the case of wine, James nodded, leading the way back out to the Aston, placing the case carefully in the boot. "Your Nana seems wonderful," He mused, helping Gabriel into the car. "I hope I can live up to her expectations."

"As long as you are trying, it's all she wants," Gabriel smiled. "She doesn't want me to just be kept, she wants me to be happy. She didn't understand me going back to become a courtesan,she was sure I would find someone and fall in love, just like she and Pappa did. I just happened to find you at Bella Nascosta. And I'm very glad I did."

"I'm glad you did too. And I'm glad that I didn't blow off the experience and go get drunk like I had been planning to." James admitted with a small grin.

"I would have been sent to find you," Gabriel smiled. "M knows no one can hide from my tech. Let's go home?" He squeezed James's hand and pressed a kiss to it.

"You know, that almost sounds like a challenge." Not that Bond had any desire to drop off the grid right now. Starting up the Aston and heading for home, James reached over with one hand resting it on Gabriel's thigh.

"Some time I'll make us disappear," Gabriel smiled. "We can go to a shibari workshop in Japan."

"Only if you let me go ahead of time and see how long it takes you to find me." James agreed cheekily. "I really do want to test you out, not that I'm doubting your skill."

"Sure... But then I suppose we'll have to make the mile high club on the return flight. Even I don't hate flying enough to drive to Japan," Gabriel laughed. "That reminds me though, I do want to do some work on your car, give it a few extra tricks."

"My car? There's nothing wrong with her, she runs fine as is." Bond protested. "She doesn't need updating, Sweet."

"What about if I could give her a white noise generator so she doesn't show on radar? I was also thinking about rocket launchers and turbo... But if you don't want me to..."

"I-" Bond paused. Rocket launchers, turbo... he had to admit that that was something he could get behind. "It won't affect the look of her, will it?"

"Oh goodness no, she's a classic," Gabriel looked horrified. "If you ever want to restore the interior, I know someone that can duplicate the original. And I think we can add some extra horsepower, and reinforce the frame. I can definitely do bullet proof glass and side panels."

"So long as she doesn't change in appearance, all those modifications sound fine to me. But I do use her quite often, so any that are done will have to be done relatively fast."

"How about your next mission? I shouldn't need more than a weekend once I get all the parts sorted. And then I have extra hands. I want to do some modifications on her that will give her modern functions, but keep her look.  
"I can bring her into the garage in Q Branch."

"So long as those extra hands realise that she's worth a hell of a lot more than just her monetary value." Bond agreed, pulling into the carpark. "Let them know that I won't hesitate to ruin the career of anybody who scratches my car."

"Oh, no one will do anything besides lift pieces but me," Gabriel frowned. "I'm trying to find an old car to restore for myself."

"I've got a few contacts that could help you with that." James offered, climbing out of the car to retrieve the case of wine. "They help me out when the Aston needs new parts."

"If they can find me a Rolls Royce Silver Wraith that needs fixing, sure," Gabriel grinned. "In thinking of buying a kit, and exchanging all the body and glass for bullet proof materials."

"I'll give them a call and see what they can find." James trusted his contacts enough to know that it could be done, and he had more than enough to finance such a search. "An MI6 project or your own?"

"Oh, just mine, some money from when grandpa died," Gabriel said sadly. "He could fix anything, it's where I learned. "I'd still trade it for one more Christmas with him, now as an adult. Now I know what I want to ask him."

Staying silent, James nodded along, taking both the wine and Gabriel back inside to the warm. "I'm sure he'd be proud of where you are now." He finally commented, setting the wine down, turning back to face Gabriel. "A lot of people should be proud of you, you're something else."

Gabriel flushed pink and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Well I had good people around me and worked hard, but thank you." He put the case of wine in the pantry next to the vodka and scotch, plenty of room since there was no food.

"Lucky me, I get to enjoy all that hard work and keep you all for my own." Wrapping his arms around Gabriel's waist, pulling him back, flush against his body, Bond kissed the top of the submissive's head. "Well, out of work hours I get you all to myself, anyway."

Gabriel tilted his head up to steal an eclair and wine flavored kiss. "Thank you for letting me surprise you, I know you can buy anything you want. I wanted to give you something that was... Sentimental?" He shook his head. "Meaningful."

"I'll treasure anything you give me, whatever it's value." Bond replied, turning Gabriel around to face him properly. "You could give me a piece of gum and I'd love it. Provided it wasn't grape favoured."

"Ew, that's just nasty. Grape flavor tastes nothing like real grapes, its vile," Gabriel shuddered. "What's our plans for the rest of the night?"

"I was thinking a bit of sex, and a nice hot bath." Bond nodded, pleased with his plan.

"Ohh, that sounds glorious," Gabriel moaned. "Bath or sex first?"

"Sex. I don't fancy sleeping all sticky, Sweet."

"True," Gabriel grinned, reaching to unbutton James's shirt. "Why don't you relax and let me do the work?" He pulled James back with him to the bedroom, kissing each patch of warm skin he encountered under a button.

James only made it halfway through the thought of 'shouldn't I be the one taking care of you, given that I'm the dominate' before a small, pleased sigh fell from his lips, closing his eyes over. "Did they teach you that at the pleasure house? Or is making me relax one of your own skills?"

"I just know this feels good," Gabriel looked up, a faint blush on his cheeks. "I can read body language, but the more time we are together, the more I learn what you like. And try to remember. You like rough sex, but you like to be seduced."

"I don't think I ever told you the second part." Bond chuckled. "I'm not used to having somebody quite so far under my skin, it's nice."

"I was trained to read people, James, and with you especially, I try," Gabriel unbuckled Bond's belt. "Maybe some day you will let me be inside your skin, lover," Gabriel sighed.

"Trained to read people, sounds like you're a field agent yourself" Bond joked. "I hope for the both of us you're not, I don't think that I could take the stress of you out on the field, I'd be too paranoid about something going wrong." James didn't much like the idea of Gabriel being somewhere that James couldn't protect him, let alone out on active duty.. "Being inside my skin isn't really all it's cracked up to be, I wouldn't worry."

"To read what would please you most, Master," Gabriel smiled coyly. "Inside your skin, inside of you, perhaps? I don't want to be out in the field without you, at all if I can help it. I don't like killing, even if I know how."

"You please me the most." James wrapped arms around the younger man, tugging him in closer, working to undress him. "And you're already inside of me. You're more intoxicating than a good scotch, Gabriel."

Gabriel his blush in working at James's throat, biting at a spot, blowing on it, and then licking. "If there's ever, anything, you want, please tell me? Something you want to try, or do? If it's not something I'm familiar with, we can learn together."

"I'm pretty vocal in my sexual endeavours, don't worry about that." It was more likely that James would keep anything emotional to himself, he'd never really been one for sharing. "I'd have boring old vanilla sex with you for the rest of my life it it meant I got to keep you."

"No worry of that," Gabriel purred, reaching for the massage oil. "Lay on your stomach for me?"

"I didn't think so." Bond grinned. Rolling over, stretching out to let his back click once he was comfortable, James arched slightly, watching Gabriel. "You really do like to spoil me."

"I do, Master," Gabriel smiled. "I didn't train to be a courtesan to be pampered, I wanted to take care of someone. And then you came to Bella Nascosta, and I got everything I'd ever wanted all in one. Someone to love, someone to care for, someone that loved me."

"See, most submissive's I've met have wanted that pampered life." James mused. "I've got money and a nice car, I'm a excellent bed partner... Not that I don't mind pampering you, Sweet."

"But have you known many trained in a house? I think it's different for us," Gabriel worked through an large knot in James's neck with gentle hands. "I'm in it for what I can give, not get. To be loved in return was more than I hoped for, but it's the act of service that pleases me."

"I can't say I've known too many, no." Bond admitted. "Most encounters I've had are people looking for something rather specific in both sex and bank account."

"That's... Sad. I know that happens, but I'm sorry that's what you thought I would be," Gabriel bent to kiss his ear gently. "Roll over for me?"

Bond shrugged. "I'm used to it, no reason to be sorry." Rolling over for Gabriel, Bond gave a playful wink.

Gabriel stretched James's neck and worked down his arms. "I really can take care of myself, financially at least. Nanna will tell you, I'm a sucker for a sob story, so sometimes I have people take advantage of me."

"I won't take advantage of you, Sweet. I wouldn't dream of it." James promised.

His kisses turned ragged, and Gabriel nodded. "I want to wake up next to you, fall asleep next to you," he whispered. He slid down James's body to massage his legs and feet, kissing the skin.

"Not what I'd normally consider dirty talk." Bond laughed, though he had to admit that it worked just as well. He was getting another shot at something more domestic, something that as a double O, he hadn't thought possible.

"Just think, home for a weekend without any bullet holes in you, or being drunk. Mildly attractive?"

"Maybe being a little drunk, I can't kick all of my vices cold turkey." Bond offered, closing his eyes over, happy to let Gabriel explore.

"Just a little,as long as it goes with a home cooked meal," Gabriel agreed.The front door slammed with a thud. "Shit, I'm glad I locked the bedroom door, it sound like Alec is back," he kissed James's hip bone and sucked a bruise onto the tanned flesh.

Letting out a pleased, loud moan, if only to spite Alec -James had never been a particularly loud lover- he nodded, "We'll see, I like a scotch to wash down the hour."

"That's alright with me, your Scotch is the good stuff, none of that cheap gut rotting rum we drank in the university,"Gabriel kissed his way down James's leg,stopping to kiss each toe, and then working his way back up the other. "I'm learning to appreciate a good buzz," he slid back up to catch James's mouth in a searing kiss.

Catching Gabriel in the kiss, Bond rolled them over, pinning Gabriel underneath him, breathless already despite not having really done anything. "I'm going to fuck you, Sweet, until not only Alec but all of MI6 can hear you."

"Good, then do it," Gabriel goaded, pushing up against him to grind their cocks together. "I need you. And stop goading Alec, this is hard enough on him, love."

"Oh, he'll get over it." Bond shrugged, returning the movement, sliding his hand down to rub against Gabriel.

"Inside me, now, please," Gabriel fumbled for the lube where they had left it between the pillows, Alec forgotten. He wrapped his arms around James's neck, pulling him as close to his skin as he could.

"I don't think you're desperate enough yet, Sweet." Though in saying as much, Bond wasn't sure that he could hold out long enough to make Gabriel really beg for it, taking the lube near instantly, opening Gabriel up as fast as comfort would allow.

Gabriel shook his head, and sunk his teeth into James's throat, past words with the thrusting fingers. "Please, I can't..."

Gasping, pleased with the bite, with the sharp pain, driving him on, happily pushing into Gabriel. "How could I deny you, when you give everything to me?"

"I try," Gabriel clung to him. "I can't expect you to trust me when I hide a part of myself away."

"I trust you more than most." Bond admitted openly, small, easy thrusts to begin their night. "I don't ask you to tell me everything, just to be honest."

"This is still new, I hope someday you'll know everything about me," Gabriel smiled, kissing him.

"Never feel like you have to tell me though, understand?" Bond didn't want anything more than Gabriel was willing to give, even what he had now was more than James had expected to get from M's forced visit to the pleasure house. "I'm content just knowing what I do now."

"But I WANT to tell you, and it's the first time I've ever felt that way about someone. We'll figure it out," he gave a wicked twist of his hips.

"Well then tell me," James chuckled, the sound caught halfway by a throaty moan, bucking his hips upwards to meet with Gabriel. "You minx, I ought to tie you down."

"Tell you? That you're like the secondary school crush I never had the nerve to speak to?" Gabriel managed to wrap his legs around James, pulling him deeper. "We need some good rope."

"Blonde, mostly drunk and good with a gun?" Bond teased. "There's rope in the spare bedroom, I normally invite my endeavours into there, keeps my dry cleaning down if I can just burn the sheets."

"So good looking I wouldn't dare speak to them?" Gabriel broke into laughter. "You know the best thing about sheets is they can be washed? Between Alec burning down the kitchen, microwaved meals and you burning linens... Forget being a spy... I'm surprised you survived!"

"I like efficiency, and burning sheets and microwave meals are efficient means to an end." Bond defended. "Besides, I hardly have anything to do with Alec's ability to cook."

"Thank goodness I came along to take care of you," Gabriel laughed. "Now... Weren't you doing something?" He bit at James's shoulder.

"I was before you distracted me, yes." Bond purred in return, moving his hands up to catch Gabriel's wrists, pinning them up above his head. "I believe I promised to make sure you were loud enough that all of MI6 could hear."

"Mmmm, yes, promises promises," Gabriel gave a dramatic sigh.

"That was a little quiet, Sweet." Dragging himself out of Gabriel, before pushing back in, a rough thrust, solitary as it was, Bond smirked. "You're going to have to be louder than that if you want to be allowed to come tonight."

"Well then you'll just have to try harder, I'm sure you don't want me faking it," Gabriel lost his voice after the savage thrust. "Please," he raked his nails down James's back.

"Full sentences when begging please." James teased, thrusting hard again, keeping the movements drawn out. "I'm afraid us double O's are a little dense."

"Please, please James," Gabriel begged, voice hoarse. "Please, Sir," his last sentence turned into a shout.

"Please what, Sweet?" James knew how to drag things out, and this would be no exception. He wanted Gabriel writhing underneath him.

"Please, Sir, let me come?" Gabriel managed before losing his train of thought with James's slow thrusts.

"At some point tonight I'm sure I can let you." Bond agreed, a coy smile on his lips. "Eventually."

"You're an asshole," Gabriel burst laughter. "Fine... I'll be sure to make the next time you're tied up rather... Long."

"Not a very convincing way to get me to let you come, Sweet." Bond grinned in turn, slowing down even more, moving down to drag teeth over Gabriel's nipples. "idle threats won't sway me."

"Idle? You'll learn I never make idle threats," Gabriel said firmly. "Pretty please, Master Bond?"

"We'll see about that." Bond teased, trusting that Gabriel wasn't really making an idle threat, but all too happy to stir the pot a bit. "Pretty please, what Sweet? Would you like to be allowed to come?"

"Yes please," Gabriel bit his lip, the contact just enough of a tease that he couldn't come.

"Yes please, sir." James reminded, keeping the slow pace, each thrust purposeful. "You'll ask nicely, or you won't get to."

"Yes please, Sir," Gabriel said sadly, his lip out in a bit of a pout. "Please, lover?"

God, Gabriel knew how to get to Bond, how to get under his skin with that cute pout and sad eyes. Picking up the pace, hands tight on Gabriel's hips -Bond wanted to mark them as his- James nodded, smirking. "That's much better, Sweet. But you're only allowed to come after I have, understand?"

"Yes, James," Gabriel tangled his fingers into James's hair. It needed a trim, he made a mental note. But only after their days off, he was fond of tugging on it. He bit at James's throat. "I want to feel you come inside me, please?"

Gabriel underneath him was always such a beautiful sight, it was like the man was made to be under James, the way he arched and moved towards Bond, their bodies slotting together so nicely. "I wouldn't dream of denying you that, Sweet." Pace becoming erratic with need, James came soon after, jerking and then stilling, panting heavily as he tried to drag Gabriel's orgasm out.

"James..." Gabriel's orgasm took him and he clung to his lover. He found himself breathless, massaging at James's shoulders, trying to communicate what he couldn't put into words.

"That's it." There was some pride in James' tone, ever the type of person to take pleasure in others sexual pleasure, no matter how many times they fucked, holding Gabriel, soothing him gently. "Just relax, Sweet."

Gabriel nodded, and let himself relax into the muscled arms that held him. "I never get tired of you," he marveled. "I can't get enough."

"Thank you." Bond kissed Gabriel's head lightly, moving himself out of the other man, giving him more space to breathe. "I can't get enough of you either."

Gabriel sighed, surprised at the shiver. "You're a bloody heater, James Bond," he laughed, "get back here."

"I assumed you'd rather me not crush you post sex." Bond moved back over, wrapping himself back around Gabriel. "I'm somewhat heavy, what with all the physical activity I do."

"Shut it," Gabriel wrapped himself around James and pulled the blankets over them both. "Shhh, more holding, less belittling yourself. You're perfect."

"I'm not belittling myself, I know I'm perfect." Bond hummed, closing his eyes over, not ready for sleep, but perfectly content to just rest there with Gabriel in his arms. "As are you. My perfect saviour." He chuckled.

"Savior?" Gabriel asked. "I've been called many names... Never someone's savior. Usually nasty names."

"Well because of you I'm not somewhere hiding off the grid drinking myself into an early grave." He owed Gabriel a lot in that sense. "And I certainly wouldn't be allowed back onto the field when I finally did drag myself back to M."

"Alright, I'll take credit for that," Gabriel agreed, grabbing his phone. "I'm going to order groceries in the morning, what do you like for breakfast?" He ran a hand down James's side, even in the midst of typing, loathe to stop touching.

"Normally breakfast is a glass of scotch and a piece of dry toast." James offered, somewhat uselessly he realised. "I'm prone to snacking a lot through the day rather than sitting down for meals unless it's dinner."

"What shall I set out for you to snack on, then?" Gabriel raised an eyebrow that said there would be no arguing.

"A glass of scotch and a piece of dry toast?" Bond offered, a lazy smile on his face. "I do try and eat something most mornings, it's just normally not much."

"We don't work tomorrow, I'll make something and leave it out," Gabriel smiled. He plugged in his phone. "I set the delivery for noon, should be done with sex and showers by then."

"That's ambitious of you." Bond snorted. "We might be done by then, I'm not against opening the door naked."

"Oh dear, next round of shopping will include robes, then," Gabriel curled up on James's shoulder with a sigh, cold feet against his calf. "London is freezing, at least the grocers had melon."

"I don't need a robe," Bond winked. "I'm happy to show the whole world my assets." it was a tacky joke, but James never really had any class in that department. "I could always send you naked to the door."

"We want them to deliver again," Gabriel laughed. "I'm not sure grocery delivery drivers want to see us naked, even if I enjoy it. Although you might ask Eve, I bet she'd tip."

"She'd happily see me naked." Bond laughed. "You'd have to fight her off, she might even conveniently forget the groceries so she can come back a second time."

"Well she can look but not touch," Gabriel turned off the light. "Good dreams, James." He tucked his head into the hollow of James's neck and his breathing soon slowed.

"Goodnight, Sweet." Closing his own eyes, happy to listen to the steady breaths of Gabriel beside him, James had to admit that he was finding it easier and easier to get to sleep with Gabriel there beside him.

Gabriel wasn't sure what woke him, until he remembered bits of his dream. He held on to James, just tight enough to feel that the heartbeat was still under the skin.  
"I'm falling in love with you, and I'm so scared of losing you," he whispered.

Stirring, Bond frowned, feeling Gabriel, slightly stiff beside him, holding on just enough to make a difference. "Everything alright there, Sweet? Miss me, did you?"

"A dream," Gabriel let out a small sniffle. "I'm sorry I woke you."

"I don't mind." Bond reassured. "A dream? Or a nightmare? I don't think dreams have quite that effect normally."

"A nightmare..." Gabriel shivered. "He killed you, in the chapel."

Gabriel didn't have to mention Silva's name for it to bring the bastards face straight to James' mind. "I'm right here, Sweet. Right here beside you, real and alive. And he's dead. He can't get to you."

"I wasn't worried about me," Gabriel admitted. "I was afraid of what it would be like without you. My life has changed so much, and I couldn't bear to go back to not having you." He turned on the light and found his glasses, glancing out the window where the sky was just starting to lighten.

"Luckily, I'm not in the habit of quitting my vices." Bond offered, humour in his voice, trying to calm his Gabriel. "You're stuck with me now, right until the end. "

"Good," Gabriel smiled bravely. "Can you hold me?"

"Of course." James didn't need to be asked a second time, wrapping his arms tight around Gabriel's waist, pulling him in close. "I'll hold you forever, Gabriel. I'll never let go, I promise. Through hell and back, I'll always come back to you."

Gabriel wouldn't have traded that moment for anything, and he settled back in James's arms, content.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Hidden Beauty (Cover Art)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5811145) by [justaddgigi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/justaddgigi/pseuds/justaddgigi)




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